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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. board — to get on
  6. degree — an amount
  7. face — to point toward
  8. degree — temperature
  9. bear — the animal
  10. fork — in a road
  11. face — part of the head
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. board — a committee
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. bat — the animal
  22. face — to confront
  23. degree — from a university
  24. bear — the 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