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 120 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: calf · pound · bulb · press · bark · swing · field · mouse

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. bulb — for light
  3. swing — to play on
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. press — newspapers
  6. field — farmland
  7. swing — in golf
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. pound — a weight
  10. field — a subject
  11. press — to push
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. swing — music
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. bulb — for light
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. bark — to shout
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. field — for sport
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. press — a publisher

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