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: straw · degree · nail · wake · calf · bass · band · cell

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. wake — a trail
  5. degree — temperature
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. band — a ring
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. band — a music group
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. bass — low music
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. bass — the fish
  20. degree — an amount
  21. cell — a phone
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. degree — from a university
  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