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 did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. current — happening now
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. staff — employees
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. deal — to handle
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. kid — child
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. staff — employees
  11. kid — to tease
  12. branch — a division
  13. chest — a box
  14. shower — rain
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. current — of water
  17. shower — to wash
  18. staff — a stick
  19. chest — of your body
  20. current — electric
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. chest — of your body
  24. deal — an agreement

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