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: rest · bark · cell · current · squash · ball · hand · bay

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. current — happening now
  3. bark — to shout
  4. squash — the sport
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. hand — in cards
  7. hand — help
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. rest — what's left
  12. ball — a dance
  13. current — of water
  14. cell — a phone
  15. cell — in biology
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. ball — a great time
  19. rest — what's left
  20. rest — a break
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. current — electric
  24. squash — to crush

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