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: board · track · arm · mouse · bark · ground · kick · net

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. net — for catching
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. ground — a position
  7. track — a path
  8. bark — to shout
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. board — to get on
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. ground — the earth
  14. net — in sport
  15. ground — crushed
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. net — after costs
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. track — a song
  21. kick — in football
  22. track — to keep track
  23. board — a committee
  24. kick — with a leg

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