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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. tube — a container
  3. object — an aim
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. fine — high quality
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. fine — all right
  10. tube — the underground
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. spring — a coil
  13. fork — in a road
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. object — to protest
  20. wake — a trail
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. spring — of water
  24. spring — the season

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