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 laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. track — a path
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. mate — to breed
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. chest — of your body
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. pound — a weight
  14. track — a song
  15. stem — to come from
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. mate — a friend
  21. chest — a box
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. track — to keep track
  24. mate — a partner

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