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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. kid — child
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. rock — a stone
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. cold — not warm
  17. rock — music
  18. dip — to sink
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. vault — a safe
  22. kid — to tease
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. cold — an illness

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