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 116 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: cap · safe · pound · bark · clip · ball · racket · staff

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. clip — to cut
  3. staff — employees
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. cap — a hat
  6. pound — a weight
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. cap — a lid
  9. cap — of ice
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. bark — to shout
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. staff — employees
  15. ball — a dance
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. clip — for paper
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. staff — a stick
  20. ball — a great time
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. clip — a video
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. ball — a round shape

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