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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. bore — to tire
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. shower — rain
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. pit — in a race
  13. bore — to drill
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. lean — to bend
  17. shower — to wash
  18. bark — to shout
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. pit — a hole
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. lean — thin
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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