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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. prune — to trim
  4. field — for sport
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bear — the animal
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. squash — to crush
  10. prune — to trim
  11. pop — soda
  12. field — farmland
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. pop — music
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. pop — to visit
  17. field — a subject
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. calf — a young animal

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