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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. cold — an illness
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. bear — the animal
  5. prune — to trim
  6. object — to protest
  7. root — of a plant
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. bear — the animal
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. root — the cause
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. object — a thing
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. craft — a skill
  16. cold — not warm
  17. root — of a word
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. object — an aim
  22. craft — boats
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. fan — a supporter

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