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: branch · drill · track · calf · perch · temple · deal · date

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. track — a song
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. drill — the tool
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. deal — to handle
  9. drill — a practice
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. drill — army training
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. date — the fruit
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. branch — a division
  17. track — to keep track
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. track — a path
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. perch — the fish
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. date — on the calendar

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