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: march · court · bark · perch · tube · staff · track · present

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. court — of a king
  3. court — for sport
  4. bark — to shout
  5. track — to keep track
  6. present — the time now
  7. tube — a container
  8. track — a path
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. staff — employees
  11. present — a gift
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. staff — a stick
  14. march — the month
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. march — music
  17. staff — employees
  18. perch — the fish
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. present — there
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. track — a song
  23. march — the month
  24. tube — the underground

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