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: wax · deal · current · calf · ball · foot · file · degree

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. current — electric
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. wax — to grow
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. current — happening now
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. file — a line of people
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. degree — an amount
  12. degree — temperature
  13. file — a tool
  14. foot — a measure
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. file — a document
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. ball — a great time
  20. degree — from a university
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. current — of water
  23. deal — to handle
  24. ball — a dance

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