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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. rule — a law
  3. mate — to breed
  4. mate — a partner
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. prune — to trim
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. march — music
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. pop — soda
  11. march — the month
  12. fall — to drop
  13. rule — government
  14. march — the month
  15. prune — to trim
  16. mate — a friend
  17. pop — music
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. pop — to visit
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. fall — to drop
  23. fall — the season
  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