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: calf · shower · hide · land · pitcher · prune · ruler · season

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. prune — to trim
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. land — a country
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. shower — rain
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. land — to come down
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. prune — to trim
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. season — of the year
  22. shower — to wash
  23. land — ground
  24. season — in sport

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