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: rush · racket · sharp · ball · hide · lash · bark · pitcher

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. ball — a great time
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. sharp — clever
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. rush — hurry
  15. ball — a dance
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. bark — to shout
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. lash — an eyelash

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