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 hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. lie — to recline
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. scale — size or range
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. spring — a coil
  9. degree — from a university
  10. rush — hurry
  11. saw — the tool
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. saw — the tool
  15. scale — in music
  16. degree — an amount
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. degree — temperature
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. spring — the season
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. scale — for weighing

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