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 116 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 pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. charge — electricity
  4. prune — to trim
  5. prune — to trim
  6. field — for sport
  7. charge — a price
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. field — a subject
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. charge — in control
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. dip — to sink
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. game — a match
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. field — farmland
  24. prune — the fruit

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