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 120 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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. pound — a weight
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. kid — child
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. wake — a trail
  12. prune — to trim
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. deal — to handle
  15. bat — the animal
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. kid — to tease
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. prune — to trim
  22. branch — a division
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. branch — of a tree

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