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 120 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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. spring — a coil
  4. bass — low music
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. face — part of the head
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. ball — a dance
  13. face — to confront
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. deal — to handle
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. bark — to shout
  18. ball — a great time
  19. spring — of water
  20. spring — the season
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. face — to point toward
  23. bass — the fish
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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