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: calf · plane · board · cold · straw · land · arm · bank

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. bank — of a river
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. bank — for money
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. land — to come down
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. land — a country
  11. board — to get on
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. land — ground
  15. cold — not warm
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. plane — a tool
  20. cold — an illness
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. board — a committee
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. bank — for money

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