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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. mine — for digging
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. hand — in cards
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. craft — a skill
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. bear — the animal
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. craft — boats
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. bat — the animal
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. bear — the animal
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. lash — to lash out

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