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 hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. hand — help
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. present — a gift
  5. present — the time now
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. hand — in cards
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. ball — a dance
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. tear — from crying
  13. ball — a great time
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. roll — a cake
  16. present — there
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. bass — the fish
  19. tear — to rip
  20. roll — a list
  21. tear — from crying
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. bass — low music

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