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: bark · ball · mug · calf · track · dip · rush · root

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. root — of a word
  7. root — the cause
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. bark — to shout
  10. ball — a great time
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. ball — a dance
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. mug — a cup
  15. track — to keep track
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. track — a path
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. track — a song
  21. mug — to rob
  22. root — of a plant
  23. mug — a face
  24. dip — to sink

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