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: saw · roll · field · degree · bark · spell · net · bore

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. field — for sport
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. bark — to shout
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. degree — temperature
  8. field — farmland
  9. field — a subject
  10. spell — magic
  11. net — for catching
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. degree — from a university
  14. net — in sport
  15. saw — the tool
  16. bore — to tire
  17. saw — the tool
  18. bore — to drill
  19. degree — an amount
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. net — after costs
  22. spell — a short time
  23. spell — letters
  24. roll — a cake

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