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. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. field — a subject
  3. field — farmland
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. track — to keep track
  7. pound — a weight
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. spell — magic
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. field — for sport
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. track — a song
  17. fork — in a road
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. spell — letters
  23. spell — a short time
  24. track — a path

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