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: bowl · bound · perch · chest · tear · racket · bark · roll

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. tear — from crying
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. roll — a cake
  6. tear — from crying
  7. perch — the fish
  8. tear — to rip
  9. bound — obliged
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. bark — to shout
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. chest — a box
  16. bound — certain
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. roll — a list
  19. chest — of your body
  20. bound — tied together
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. chest — of your body
  24. bark — of a tree

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