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: racket · track · bark · calf · field · bound · bass · pitcher

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. bound — certain
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. field — farmland
  5. track — a path
  6. bass — low music
  7. field — a subject
  8. bound — obliged
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. field — for sport
  11. track — to keep track
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. bark — to shout
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. bass — the fish
  19. track — a song
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. bound — tied together
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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