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: bark · can · present · bay · racket · hand · wake · branch

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. present — there
  3. present — a gift
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. hand — help
  7. can — to be able to
  8. can — a tin
  9. hand — in cards
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. wake — a trail
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. present — the time now
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. branch — a division
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. bark — to shout
  20. can — a tin
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. racket — for tennis

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