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 · straw · safe · calf · scale · deal · last · trunk

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. deal — to handle
  9. scale — in music
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. last — to go on
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. prune — to trim
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. prune — to trim
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. last — finally
  22. last — final
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. scale — size or range

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