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: can · nail · foot · prune · swing · bark · game · row

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. can — a tin
  3. game — a match
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. can — a tin
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. foot — a measure
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. can — to be able to
  11. swing — to play on
  12. row — a line
  13. swing — in golf
  14. game — wild animals
  15. row — to paddle
  16. swing — music
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. bark — to shout
  21. prune — to trim
  22. prune — to trim
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. nail — for a hammer

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