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: hand · racket · shower · temple · ground · mark · kick · bark

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. shower — rain
  4. ground — the earth
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. shower — to wash
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. hand — in cards
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. mark — a trace
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. ground — crushed
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. hand — help
  20. ground — a position
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. kick — in football
  24. mark — a grade

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