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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. bank — for money
  3. row — to paddle
  4. wax — to grow
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. clip — to cut
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. row — a line
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. bark — to shout
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. clip — a video
  20. bank — of a river
  21. clip — for paper
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. bank — for money
  24. hide — to keep secret

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