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: ruler · racket · spring · cap · ball · bark · branch · game

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. ball — a dance
  4. spring — of water
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. spring — the season
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. spring — a coil
  12. branch — a division
  13. game — wild animals
  14. bark — to shout
  15. ball — a great time
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. game — a match
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. cap — of ice
  23. cap — a lid
  24. ruler — a monarch

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