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: straw · bore · ground · kick · jam · bay · drill · bark

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. bore — to tire
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. bark — to shout
  6. ground — a position
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. drill — army training
  9. ground — the earth
  10. kick — in football
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. drill — a practice
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. bore — to drill
  15. ground — crushed
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. drill — the tool
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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