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 drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. bass — low music
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. kid — to tease
  8. spell — a short time
  9. kid — child
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. spell — letters
  12. bass — the fish
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. spell — magic
  16. wind — moving air
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. wind — moving air
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. bass — the instrument

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