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 120 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: craft · hand · arm · foot · bay · branch · ground · bark

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. craft — boats
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. ground — a position
  8. hand — help
  9. ground — crushed
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. branch — a division
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. bark — to shout
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. craft — a skill
  19. hand — in cards
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. ground — the earth
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. foot — a measure

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