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: bat · nail · club · bear · calf · mine · fork · deal

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. club — for dancing
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. bat — the animal
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. deal — to handle
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. bear — the animal
  21. fork — in a road
  22. club — for golf
  23. bear — the animal
  24. mine — for digging

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