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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. staff — employees
  5. spell — magic
  6. prune — to trim
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. last — finally
  12. spell — letters
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. staff — a stick
  15. last — final
  16. degree — temperature
  17. spell — a short time
  18. pound — a weight
  19. degree — from a university
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. last — to go on
  22. staff — employees
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. degree — an amount

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