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: pound · bowl · mark · cell · pitcher · bulb · safe · bark

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. cell — a phone
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. pound — a weight
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. cell — in biology
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. bulb — for light
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. bark — to shout
  13. mark — a grade
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. mark — a trace
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. bulb — for light
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. bowl — to roll

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