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 giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. object — a thing
  4. race — a contest
  5. tear — from crying
  6. fine — all right
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. tear — from crying
  13. race — the arms race
  14. hand — help
  15. fine — high quality
  16. hand — in cards
  17. face — to confront
  18. object — to protest
  19. face — to point toward
  20. tear — to rip
  21. face — part of the head
  22. wax — to grow
  23. object — an aim
  24. race — humankind

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