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: dip · bowl · jam · calf · mouse · bark · track · land

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. land — ground
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. track — a song
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. land — a country
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. track — to keep track
  15. land — to come down
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. dip — to sink
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. track — a path
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. bark — to shout

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