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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. key — in music
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. key — for a lock
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. swing — in golf
  10. key — the most important part
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. chair — a leader
  13. swing — music
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. shower — rain
  16. branch — a division
  17. swing — to play on
  18. chair — a professorship

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