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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. band — a music group
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. fork — in a road
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. branch — a division
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. degree — from a university
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. band — a ring
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. degree — an amount
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. plane — a tool
  23. degree — temperature
  24. band — a rubber band

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