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 protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. rush — hurry
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. prune — to trim
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. face — to point toward
  10. court — of law
  11. court — for sport
  12. pop — soda
  13. face — part of the head
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. bat — the animal
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. pop — to visit
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. pop — music
  22. prune — to trim
  23. court — of a king
  24. face — to confront

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