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: ground · drill · calf · rock · pit · cell · kid · branch

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. drill — the tool
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. ground — crushed
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. pit — in a race
  9. kid — to tease
  10. pit — a hole
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. ground — the earth
  13. rock — a stone
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. drill — a practice
  16. kid — child
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. branch — a division
  19. ground — a position
  20. drill — army training
  21. cell — in biology
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. rock — music
  24. cell — a phone

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