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: prune · root · temple · straw · calf · current · hand · last

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. current — of water
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. root — the cause
  13. hand — in cards
  14. last — final
  15. last — finally
  16. prune — to trim
  17. prune — to trim
  18. root — of a plant
  19. current — electric
  20. root — of a word
  21. current — happening now
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. last — to go on
  24. hand — help

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