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: trunk · plane · fork · bore · pitcher · calf · bark · season

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. season — in sport
  5. bore — to drill
  6. bark — to shout
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. bore — to tire
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. fork — in a road
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. plane — a tool

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