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 120 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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. foot — a measure
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. kid — child
  5. shower — to wash
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. branch — a division
  9. fine — all right
  10. shower — rain
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. kid — to tease

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