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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. fine — high quality
  3. mark — a grade
  4. current — of water
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. spell — magic
  8. file — a tool
  9. file — a line of people
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. degree — temperature
  14. current — happening now
  15. spell — a short time
  16. file — a document
  17. spell — letters
  18. degree — from a university
  19. degree — an amount
  20. fine — all right
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. current — electric
  23. lie — to recline
  24. mark — a trace

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