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 little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. present — there
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. bear — the animal
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. swing — music
  8. swing — in golf
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. swing — to play on
  11. present — the time now
  12. saw — the tool
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. hand — in cards
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. toast — bread
  17. hand — help
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. saw — the tool
  22. present — a gift
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. patient — a sick person

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