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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. track — to keep track
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. hand — in cards
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. mine — for digging
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. track — a path
  17. hand — help
  18. rush — hurry
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. row — to paddle
  21. track — a song
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. row — a line
  24. hide — to keep secret

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