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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. land — to come down
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. bass — low music
  7. land — a country
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. degree — an amount
  15. bear — the animal
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. bass — the fish
  18. degree — temperature
  19. mine — for digging
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. degree — from a university
  24. land — ground

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