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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. club — for golf
  4. bound — tied together
  5. degree — temperature
  6. current — electric
  7. bound — obliged
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. club — for dancing
  11. swing — in golf
  12. degree — from a university
  13. spring — of water
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. current — happening now
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. current — of water
  19. club — a group
  20. spring — the season
  21. swing — music
  22. degree — an amount
  23. spring — a coil
  24. swing — to play on

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