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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  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. bark — of a tree
  2. root — of a word
  3. root — of a plant
  4. bark — to shout
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. track — a song
  7. root — the cause
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. ball — a dance
  10. pop — to visit
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. craft — a skill
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. track — to keep track
  16. craft — boats
  17. pop — music
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. pop — soda
  23. track — a path
  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