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: calf · mine · bark · bore · swing · race · march · fall

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. fall — to drop
  3. race — humankind
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. race — the arms race
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. march — music
  8. fall — the season
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. mine — for digging
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. march — the month
  14. swing — in golf
  15. bark — to shout
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. race — a contest
  18. fall — to drop
  19. march — the month
  20. swing — to play on
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. bore — to tire
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. bore — to drill

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