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: calf · vault · land · kick · bark · sharp · nail · stem

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. bark — to shout
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. vault — a safe
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. land — ground
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. stem — to come from
  16. land — to come down
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. kick — in football
  19. sharp — clever
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. land — a country
  24. nail — for a hammer

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