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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. clip — to cut
  4. rule — a law
  5. lie — to recline
  6. pop — to visit
  7. bat — the animal
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. rule — government
  10. mark — a trace
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. pop — soda
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. pop — music
  17. clip — a video
  18. clip — for paper
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. mark — a grade

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