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: racket · fork · lie · tube · squash · toast · clip · bark

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. clip — to cut
  7. clip — for paper
  8. clip — a video
  9. fork — in a road
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. squash — the sport
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. tube — a container
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. squash — to crush
  20. lie — to recline
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. tube — the underground
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. bark — to shout

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