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: wound · coach · race · pitch · bark · row · pound · charge

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. race — the arms race
  3. row — a line
  4. charge — in control
  5. wound — an injury
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. charge — electricity
  9. race — a contest
  10. wound — an injury
  11. bark — to shout
  12. row — to paddle
  13. charge — a price
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. race — humankind
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. pitch — completely
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. pound — a weight
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. coach — a trainer

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