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. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. cold — an illness
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. board — to get on
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. tear — to rip
  8. degree — temperature
  9. degree — from a university
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. tear — from crying
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. board — a committee
  14. tear — from crying
  15. degree — an amount
  16. bark — to shout
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. cold — not warm
  22. vault — a safe
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. bark — 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