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 giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. cell — in biology
  5. clip — to cut
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. plane — a tool
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. vault — a safe
  11. clip — a video
  12. stem — to come from
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. cell — a phone
  15. clip — for paper
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. wake — a trail
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. calf — of the leg

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