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 116 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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. board — a committee
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. game — wild animals
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. bark — to shout
  14. pitch — completely
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. board — to get on
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. perch — the fish
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. game — a match
  21. bound — certain
  22. dip — to sink
  23. bound — obliged
  24. bound — tied together

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