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 · mine · wax · chest · bass · tube · temple · court

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. court — of law
  6. chest — of your body
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. tube — a container
  9. mine — for digging
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. tube — the underground
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. chest — of your body
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. court — of a king
  18. chest — a box
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. bass — the fish
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. wax — to grow
  23. court — for sport
  24. bass — low music

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