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: pop · field · spring · bark · shower · deal · can · calf

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. spring — of water
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. spring — a coil
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. shower — rain
  8. can — a tin
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. pop — to visit
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. pop — soda
  13. can — to be able to
  14. field — for sport
  15. field — farmland
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. bark — to shout
  19. pop — music
  20. spring — the season
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. field — a subject
  23. can — a tin
  24. shower — to wash

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