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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. object — a thing
  9. band — a ring
  10. object — an aim
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. object — to protest
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. bark — to shout
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. band — a music group
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. calf — of the leg

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