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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. fall — to drop
  3. suit — to fit
  4. fall — to drop
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. net — for catching
  7. suit — in cards
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. hand — help
  10. net — in sport
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. net — after costs
  13. capital — a city
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. suit — clothes
  16. band — a music group
  17. hand — in cards
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. bark — to shout
  20. fall — the season
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. capital — money
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. band — a ring

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