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: nail · pitcher · roll · temple · tear · pop · bark · staff

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. bark — to shout
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. staff — a stick
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. roll — a cake
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. staff — employees
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. roll — a list
  14. tear — from crying
  15. pop — to visit
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. pop — soda
  20. tear — from crying
  21. tear — to rip
  22. pop — music
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. staff — employees

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