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. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. kid — child
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. kid — to tease
  6. bear — the animal
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. pit — a hole
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. pit — in a race
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. band — a music group
  21. bear — the animal
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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