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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. march — music
  3. land — a country
  4. saw — the tool
  5. march — the month
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. degree — from a university
  8. mark — a grade
  9. degree — temperature
  10. march — the month
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. land — to come down
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. lie — to recline
  19. saw — the tool
  20. mark — a trace
  21. degree — an amount
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. land — ground

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