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: bark · craft · pitch · last · bore · cell · spring · calf

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. pitch — completely
  5. bore — to drill
  6. last — final
  7. craft — boats
  8. cell — a phone
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. spring — a coil
  11. last — to go on
  12. spring — of water
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. last — finally
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. bark — to shout
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. bore — to tire
  21. craft — a skill
  22. cell — in biology
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. bore — gave birth

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