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: temple · band · calf · bowl · pitcher · row · stem · rash

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. rash — hasty
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. band — a ring
  10. band — a music group
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. row — a line
  13. stem — to come from
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. row — to paddle
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. rash — a series
  24. bowl — a dish

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