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. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. bound — certain
  3. last — final
  4. sharp — clever
  5. last — to go on
  6. craft — boats
  7. key — in music
  8. bound — obliged
  9. bound — tied together
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. prune — to trim
  12. key — the most important part
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. craft — a skill
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. bark — to shout
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. key — for a lock
  21. last — finally
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. prune — to trim
  24. sharp — exactly

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