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: bore · bear · calf · object · court · band · squash · scale

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. object — a thing
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. bore — to drill
  5. band — a music group
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. bear — the animal
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. squash — the sport
  11. scale — size or range
  12. band — a ring
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. bear — the animal
  16. bore — to tire
  17. court — for sport
  18. court — of a king
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. object — to protest
  21. scale — in music
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. court — of law
  24. squash — to crush

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