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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. mate — a friend
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. press — to push
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. mate — a partner
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. mate — to breed
  9. press — newspapers
  10. fall — to drop
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. row — a line
  14. fall — to drop
  15. plane — a tool
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. fall — the season
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. row — to paddle
  21. toast — bread
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. press — a publisher

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