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. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. prune — to trim
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. file — a tool
  5. file — a document
  6. file — a line of people
  7. present — there
  8. prune — to trim
  9. present — the time now
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. staff — employees
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. staff — employees
  15. present — a gift
  16. staff — a stick
  17. bat — the animal
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. rock — music
  22. dip — to sink
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. rock — a 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