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 · game · branch · cap · dip · straw · club · board

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. game — a match
  4. club — a group
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. dip — to sink
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. bark — to shout
  11. cap — a lid
  12. cap — of ice
  13. game — wild animals
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. cap — a hat
  16. club — for golf
  17. board — to get on
  18. board — a committee
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. branch — a division
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. club — for dancing
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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