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: bound · mate · object · chest · ball · prune · calf · saw

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. prune — to trim
  4. prune — to trim
  5. object — to protest
  6. ball — a great time
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. mate — a partner
  9. bound — obliged
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. ball — a dance
  12. bound — tied together
  13. object — an aim
  14. mate — to breed
  15. object — a thing
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. chest — of your body
  18. mate — a friend
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. saw — the tool
  21. saw — the tool
  22. bound — certain
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. chest — of your body

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