ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bass · ruler · bark · wound · rock · racket · kid · field

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. field — for sport
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. wound — an injury
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. rock — a stone
  8. wound — an injury
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. bark — to shout
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. rock — music
  13. kid — to tease
  14. bass — low music
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. bass — the fish
  19. field — farmland
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. field — a subject
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com