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

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. degree — temperature
  5. mate — to breed
  6. mate — a friend
  7. fine — high quality
  8. degree — from a university
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. prune — to trim
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. content — happy
  13. mate — a partner
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. content — the amount
  16. degree — an amount
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. prune — to trim

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