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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. sharp — clever
  4. cap — of ice
  5. spring — the season
  6. face — to confront
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. hand — in cards
  10. face — to point toward
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. face — part of the head
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. hand — help
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. cap — a lid
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. stand — to bear
  21. cap — a hat
  22. spring — of water
  23. spring — a coil
  24. hand — part of the body

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