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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. present — the time now
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. clip — for paper
  7. bore — to tire
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. bass — the fish
  11. bat — the animal
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. bore — to drill
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. present — there
  19. clip — a video
  20. bass — low music
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. clip — to cut
  23. branch — a division
  24. present — a gift

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