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. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. roll — a list
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. roll — a cake
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. club — for dancing
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. club — for golf
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. band — a music group
  14. club — a group
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. rule — government
  18. degree — an amount
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. band — a ring
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. rule — a law
  24. degree — temperature

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