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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. prune — to trim
  3. sharp — clever
  4. prune — to trim
  5. pass — a permit
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. race — the arms race
  9. fine — all right
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. race — humankind
  12. branch — a division
  13. saw — the tool
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. saw — the tool
  20. fine — high quality
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. race — a contest

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