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 120 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: spell · mine · mate · nail · scale · prune · calf · mouse

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. mate — to breed
  4. mine — for digging
  5. scale — size or range
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. scale — in music
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. mate — a partner
  16. prune — to trim
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. mate — a friend
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. spell — magic
  21. prune — to trim
  22. spell — a short time
  23. spell — letters
  24. calf — of the leg

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