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

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. branch — a division
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. ground — crushed
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. ground — a position
  12. row — a line
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. row — to paddle
  15. ground — the earth
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. branch — of a tree

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