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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. board — a committee
  4. season — of the year
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. chip — for betting
  9. saw — the tool
  10. season — in sport
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. chip — to eat
  14. bore — to drill
  15. bore — to tire
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. board — to get on
  18. saw — the tool
  19. squash — to crush
  20. squash — the sport
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. calf — a young animal

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