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: calf · bat · bore · foot · race · drill · field · bark

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. drill — army training
  3. bore — to drill
  4. bat — the animal
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. race — humankind
  8. drill — a practice
  9. bark — to shout
  10. field — a subject
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. race — the arms race
  13. field — farmland
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. bore — to tire
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. field — for sport
  21. drill — the tool
  22. race — a contest
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. foot — part of the body

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