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. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. staff — employees
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. rule — a law
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. staff — a stick
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. rash — a series
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. prune — to trim
  12. prune — to trim
  13. staff — employees
  14. lean — to bend
  15. rash — hasty
  16. lean — thin
  17. rule — government
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. branch — a division
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. rash — on the skin

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