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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bark · temple · field · stand · vault · kick

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. field — farmland
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. bark — to shout
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. kick — in football
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. stand — to bear
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. field — a subject
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. vault — a safe
  18. 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