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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. cold — not warm
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. swing — in golf
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. bank — for money
  9. mug — a face
  10. bank — for money
  11. swing — music
  12. present — there
  13. present — the time now
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. cold — an illness
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. branch — a division
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. mug — a cup
  21. mug — to rob
  22. plane — a tool
  23. bank — of a river
  24. swing — to play on

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