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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. field — a subject
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. bank — for money
  8. field — farmland
  9. bark — to shout
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. bank — for money
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. field — for sport
  15. net — in sport
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. net — for catching
  19. net — after costs
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. bank — of a river
  24. temple — a place of worship

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