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: bark · game · calf · field · file · mark · stick · pit

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. mark — a grade
  3. game — a match
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. field — for sport
  9. field — farmland
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. pit — a hole
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. file — a document
  14. bark — to shout
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. field — a subject
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. game — wild animals
  19. file — a tool
  20. mark — a trace
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. file — a line of people
  24. pit — in a race

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