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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. kick — in football
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. saw — the tool
  11. wound — an injury
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. mine — for digging
  16. wound — an injury
  17. saw — the tool
  18. stem — to come from
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. bass — low music
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. fork — in a road
  23. bass — the fish
  24. calf — of the leg

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