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: bark · ball · clip · coach · bulb · temple · wake · kid

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. bulb — for light
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. bark — to shout
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. clip — to cut
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. kid — to tease
  16. wake — a trail
  17. bulb — for light
  18. ball — a dance
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. kid — child
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. clip — a video
  23. clip — for paper
  24. ball — a great time

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