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: present · lash · bay · pitch · wind · pitcher · bark · hand

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. wind — moving air
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. pitch — completely
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. hand — help
  12. hand — in cards
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. wind — moving air
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. present — the time now
  18. bark — to shout
  19. present — a gift
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. present — there
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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