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 office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. field — for sport
  4. present — the time now
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. present — a gift
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. present — there
  10. saw — the tool
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. staff — a stick
  14. saw — the tool
  15. vault — a safe
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. field — a subject
  18. band — a music group
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. staff — employees
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. field — farmland
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. band — a ring

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