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: pitcher · bark · field · row · rule · toast · temple · date

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. row — to paddle
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. field — farmland
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. rule — government
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. rule — a law
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. toast — bread
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. field — for sport
  19. bark — to shout
  20. date — the fruit
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. field — a subject
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. date — on the calendar

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