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: file · saw · shower · calf · mine · craft · prune · rest

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. shower — rain
  3. shower — to wash
  4. saw — the tool
  5. rest — what's left
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. mine — for digging
  9. craft — boats
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. prune — to trim
  13. file — a tool
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. craft — a skill
  16. saw — the tool
  17. file — a line of people
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. file — a document
  21. rest — a break
  22. rest — what's left
  23. prune — to trim
  24. calf — of the leg

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