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 · chip · perch · land · mug · racket · spell · prune

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. prune — to trim
  3. spell — a short time
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. chip — for betting
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. land — to come down
  10. land — a country
  11. land — ground
  12. perch — the fish
  13. mug — a cup
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. chip — to eat
  17. spell — magic
  18. prune — to trim
  19. mug — to rob
  20. mug — a face
  21. spell — letters
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. perch — for a bird

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