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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. hand — in cards
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. spell — magic
  7. squash — the sport
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. rest — what's left
  11. hand — help
  12. spell — a short time
  13. bore — to tire
  14. squash — to crush
  15. rest — a break
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. bore — to drill
  19. rest — what's left
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. staff — a stick
  22. staff — employees
  23. staff — employees
  24. wax — to grow

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