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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. chip — for betting
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. net — after costs
  8. swing — to play on
  9. tube — the underground
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. net — for catching
  12. swing — in golf
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. net — in sport
  19. stem — to come from
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. chip — to eat
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. tube — a container
  24. nail — for a hammer

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