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. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. degree — an amount
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. suit — in cards
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. degree — from a university
  10. wind — moving air
  11. lie — to recline
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. degree — temperature
  14. suit — clothes
  15. suit — to fit
  16. wind — moving air
  17. rock — a stone
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. spring — of water
  21. spring — a coil
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. rock — music
  24. lie — an untruth

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