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 giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. mine — for digging
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. degree — from a university
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. kick — in football
  15. degree — temperature
  16. wax — to grow
  17. degree — an amount
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. branch — a division
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. wax — in the ear

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