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: game · pitcher · chip · bear · bark · board · row · pound

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. game — a match
  5. board — a committee
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. row — to paddle
  8. row — a line
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. chip — to eat
  11. bark — to shout
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. chip — for betting
  14. game — wild animals
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. pound — a weight
  17. bear — the animal
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. board — to get on

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