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 120 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: deal · chair · calf · prune · bat · perch · rash · hide

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. prune — to trim
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. perch — the fish
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. deal — to handle
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. bat — the animal
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. rash — hasty
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. prune — to trim
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. chair — a leader
  24. rash — a series

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