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: net · ball · spell · perch · pitcher · bark · pass · game

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. perch — the fish
  3. net — for catching
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. net — after costs
  6. spell — a short time
  7. game — wild animals
  8. net — in sport
  9. game — a match
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. pass — a permit
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. ball — a great time
  18. spell — magic
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. spell — letters
  21. bark — to shout
  22. ball — a dance
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. pitcher — a jug

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