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. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. present — a gift
  3. club — for golf
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. last — to go on
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. degree — an amount
  8. present — there
  9. last — finally
  10. prune — to trim
  11. present — the time now
  12. club — a group
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. degree — temperature
  15. cap — a hat
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. prune — to trim
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. cap — of ice
  20. cap — a lid
  21. rock — music
  22. last — final
  23. rock — a stone
  24. club — for dancing

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