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: staff · mark · game · pound · key · calf · mine · prune

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. key — in music
  4. game — a match
  5. staff — a stick
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. mark — a trace
  8. key — the most important part
  9. staff — employees
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. mine — for digging
  12. staff — employees
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. prune — to trim
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. prune — to trim
  18. key — for a lock
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. game — wild animals
  22. mark — a grade
  23. pound — a weight
  24. calf — a young animal

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