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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. cold — not warm
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. wound — an injury
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. pound — a weight
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. stand — to bear
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. cold — an illness
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. kick — in football

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