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: pitcher · temple · toast · track · staff · bound · bark · nail

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. bark — to shout
  3. track — to keep track
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. staff — employees
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. toast — bread
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. bound — obliged
  12. bound — certain
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. staff — employees
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. track — a path
  23. bound — tied together
  24. track — a song

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