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. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. land — ground
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. mark — a trace
  6. rule — a law
  7. rule — government
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. board — to get on
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. mark — a grade
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. land — to come down
  18. dip — to sink
  19. band — a music group
  20. land — a country
  21. band — a ring
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. branch — a division
  24. board — a committee

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