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: current · tube · net · bore · ball · date · calf · cell

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. net — in sport
  4. current — of water
  5. cell — a phone
  6. net — for catching
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. net — after costs
  9. ball — a great time
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. cell — in biology
  12. ball — a dance
  13. date — the fruit
  14. bore — to drill
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. current — happening now
  17. bore — to tire
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. current — electric
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. tube — a container

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