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. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. band — a ring
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. band — a music group
  5. wound — an injury
  6. prune — to trim
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. track — a path
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. prune — to trim
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. stem — to come from
  14. track — a song
  15. chip — for betting
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. track — to keep track
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. ball — a dance
  22. wound — an injury
  23. chip — to eat
  24. ball — a great time

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