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. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. degree — from a university
  3. bound — certain
  4. degree — an amount
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. spell — letters
  7. spell — magic
  8. mate — a friend
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. bear — the animal
  11. fall — to drop
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. bound — tied together
  14. bound — obliged
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. spell — a short time
  18. degree — temperature
  19. fall — the season
  20. mate — a partner
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. bear — the animal
  23. mate — to breed
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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