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 giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. cell — in biology
  3. bear — the animal
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. bear — the animal
  7. capital — a city
  8. kid — child
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. kid — to tease
  11. cell — a phone
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. rush — hurry
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. board — to get on
  20. capital — money
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. board — a committee

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