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 giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. wound — an injury
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. saw — the tool
  6. saw — the tool
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. mark — a trace
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. mark — a grade
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. race — humankind
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. wound — an injury
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. race — the arms race
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. branch — a division
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. race — a contest

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