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 120 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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. key — for a lock
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. present — a gift
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. present — there
  11. ball — a dance
  12. key — in music
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. spell — magic
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. mine — for digging
  19. spell — a short time
  20. key — the most important part
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. present — the time now
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. ball — a great time

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