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: wound · calf · fan · key · nail · court · rest · bark

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. rest — what's left
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. rest — a break
  7. key — the most important part
  8. key — in music
  9. bark — to shout
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. court — for sport
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. court — of a king
  15. wound — an injury
  16. court — of law
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. wound — an injury
  22. key — for a lock
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. rest — what's left

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