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: club · safe · leaves · nail · bowl · band · bark · wind

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. club — for golf
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. band — a ring
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. club — a group
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. wind — moving air
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. bark — to shout
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. club — for dancing
  19. band — a music group
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. wind — moving air
  24. bowl — a football final

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