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: calf · face · hand · bore · stick · fine · arm · prune

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. hand — help
  3. hand — in cards
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. prune — to trim
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. fine — high quality
  10. bore — to drill
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. bore — to tire
  13. fine — all right
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. face — to confront
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. prune — to trim
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. face — part of the head

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