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 strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. ground — the earth
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. ground — a position
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. tube — the underground
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. wind — moving air
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. wake — a trail
  15. tube — a container
  16. ground — crushed
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. fan — a supporter

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