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: mouse · bat · chair · bark · spell · trunk · band · row

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. row — to paddle
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. band — a ring
  8. chair — a leader
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. row — a line
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. bark — to shout
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. spell — letters
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. band — a music group
  22. spell — magic
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. spell — a short 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