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: squash · bulb · pound · spring · wake · key · bark · club

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. club — a group
  3. bulb — for light
  4. key — the most important part
  5. bark — to shout
  6. squash — the sport
  7. squash — to crush
  8. club — for golf
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. spring — the season
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. key — for a lock
  13. club — for dancing
  14. bulb — for light
  15. key — in music
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. spring — of water
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. spring — a coil
  21. pound — a weight
  22. wake — a trail
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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