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 116 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 · spell · game · bay · track · mine · bark · bowl

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. track — to keep track
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. spell — letters
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. spell — a short time
  10. spell — magic
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. track — a song
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. game — wild animals
  21. game — a match
  22. mine — for digging
  23. bark — to shout
  24. track — a path

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