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: hide · board · cue · root · straw · saw · club · bark

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. bark — to shout
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. board — a committee
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. cue — a signal
  8. club — a group
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. cue — for pool
  11. saw — the tool
  12. cue — a hint
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. board — to get on
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. club — for golf
  18. saw — the tool
  19. root — of a plant
  20. club — for dancing
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. root — of a word
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. root — the cause

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