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 120 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: shower · content · calf · track · can · bark · drill · plane

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. can — to be able to
  4. shower — rain
  5. track — a song
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. plane — a tool
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. drill — the tool
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. drill — army training
  12. track — a path
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. drill — a practice
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. track — to keep track
  17. shower — to wash
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. bark — to shout
  20. can — a tin
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. content — happy
  24. can — a tin

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