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: foot · field · degree · mug · bass · stand · bark · bulb

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bass — the fish
  8. stand — to bear
  9. mug — a face
  10. degree — an amount
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. bark — to shout
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. field — farmland
  15. foot — a measure
  16. field — a subject
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. degree — from a university
  20. mug — a cup
  21. mug — to rob
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. bass — low music
  24. degree — temperature

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