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: chest · bark · patient · track · plane · staff · game · calf

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. bark — to shout
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. chest — of your body
  5. track — a path
  6. game — wild animals
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. staff — a stick
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. game — a match
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. staff — employees
  17. chest — of your body
  18. chest — a box
  19. staff — employees
  20. track — a song
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. track — to keep track
  23. game — a kind of play
  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