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: cold · can · prune · branch · game · calf · safe · chest

  1. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. can — a tin
  3. prune — to trim
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. prune — to trim
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. game — a match
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. game — wild animals
  15. branch — a division
  16. can — to be able to
  17. chest — of your body
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. can — a tin
  20. chest — of your body
  21. cold — not warm
  22. chest — a box
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. prune — the fruit

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