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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: calf · bowl · chest · nail · prune · date · band · lash

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. chest — of your body
  3. chest — of your body
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. prune — to trim
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. band — a music group
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. date — the fruit
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. prune — to trim
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. band — a ring
  24. nail — for a hammer

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