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 protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. degree — temperature
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. swing — music
  5. court — of a king
  6. swing — in golf
  7. degree — from a university
  8. date — the fruit
  9. staff — employees
  10. stem — to come from
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. court — of law
  14. land — a country
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. swing — to play on
  17. court — for sport
  18. land — to come down
  19. degree — an amount
  20. staff — a stick
  21. land — ground
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. staff — employees

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