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: tear · fan · branch · arm · pound · cap · chip · calf

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. cap — a hat
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. tear — from crying
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. chip — to eat
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. tear — to rip
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. chip — for betting
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. cap — of ice
  17. cap — a lid
  18. branch — a division
  19. tear — from crying
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. chip — in a computer

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