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 116 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. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. race — humankind
  3. hand — in cards
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. hand — help
  8. club — a group
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. degree — temperature
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. club — for golf
  13. race — a contest
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. lean — to bend
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. race — the arms race
  19. club — for dancing
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bulb — for light
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. degree — an amount
  24. lean — thin

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