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 120 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 seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. clip — to cut
  3. lie — to recline
  4. ground — a position
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. fork — in a road
  7. rest — a break
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. clip — a video
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. ground — crushed
  13. rest — what's left
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. ground — the earth
  17. branch — a division
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. clip — for paper
  22. bark — to shout
  23. rest — what's left
  24. lie — an untruth

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