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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. staff — a stick
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. bat — the animal
  5. bark — to shout
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. staff — employees
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. march — the month
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. march — music
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. staff — employees
  21. bulb — for light
  22. march — the month
  23. kick — in football
  24. bulb — for light

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