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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. suit — to fit
  3. bark — to shout
  4. last — to go on
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. last — finally
  8. last — final
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. fine — all right
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. suit — clothes
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. suit — in cards
  17. fine — high quality
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. bat — the animal
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. patient — a sick person

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