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: calf · fall · shower · bank · hand · pitcher · degree · plane

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. fall — to drop
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. degree — from a university
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. degree — temperature
  9. bank — of a river
  10. shower — rain
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. bank — for money
  14. degree — an amount
  15. plane — a tool
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. hand — in cards
  19. fall — the season
  20. fall — to drop
  21. bank — for money
  22. shower — to wash
  23. hand — help
  24. pitcher — a jug

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