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: deal · key · calf · bat · mate · bark · ruler · band

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. key — in music
  4. key — for a lock
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. mate — a partner
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. mate — a friend
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. band — a music group
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. bat — the animal
  15. key — the most important part
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. band — a ring
  18. deal — to handle
  19. mate — to breed
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. bark — to shout

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