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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. key — the most important part
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. prune — to trim
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. key — for a lock
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. mine — for digging
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. row — to paddle
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. scale — in music
  16. key — in music
  17. can — a tin
  18. row — a line
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. can — a tin
  21. prune — to trim
  22. can — to be able to
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. temple — a place of worship

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