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: fan · bark · root · court · calf · key · wound · scale

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. court — for sport
  6. scale — in music
  7. court — of a king
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. wound — an injury
  10. root — of a plant
  11. key — in music
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. root — the cause
  16. scale — size or range
  17. root — of a word
  18. wound — an injury
  19. court — of law
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. key — for a lock
  22. key — the most important part
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. calf — of the leg

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