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 116 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 little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. wind — moving air
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. fall — to drop
  7. cell — a phone
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. fall — the season
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. wind — moving air
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. board — a committee
  14. wax — to grow
  15. bark — to shout
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. bear — the animal
  19. cell — in biology
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. board — to get on
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. fall — to drop
  24. calf — of the leg

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