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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. clip — for paper
  6. bore — to drill
  7. sharp — clever
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. clip — a video
  11. fine — all right
  12. prune — to trim
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. fine — high quality
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. clip — to cut
  18. bore — to tire
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. prune — to trim
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. branch — a division
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. calf — of the leg

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