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. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. race — humankind
  6. bank — for money
  7. race — a contest
  8. row — to paddle
  9. ball — a great time
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. bank — for money
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. dip — to sink
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. row — a line
  21. race — the arms race
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. mine — for digging
  24. bank — of a river

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