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: bark · cue · board · pop · club · nail · track · cell

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  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. club — a group
  2. board — a committee
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. pop — music
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. board — to get on
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. track — a song
  9. cue — for pool
  10. cue — a signal
  11. club — for dancing
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. pop — soda
  15. club — for golf
  16. cell — in biology
  17. cell — a phone
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. pop — to visit
  20. cue — a hint
  21. track — a path
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. track — to keep track
  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