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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. band — a ring
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. current — happening now
  5. mine — for digging
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. bore — to drill
  9. court — for sport
  10. current — of water
  11. bore — to tire
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. band — a music group
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. bat — the animal
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. current — electric
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. court — of a king
  23. court — of law
  24. kick — in football

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