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: lie · coach · bound · trunk · file · court · bark · kick

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. bark — to shout
  3. kick — in football
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. file — a document
  6. court — of a king
  7. bound — certain
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. file — a tool
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. court — of law
  13. lie — to recline
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. bound — obliged
  17. court — for sport
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. bound — tied together
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. file — a line of people
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. coach — a trainer

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