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. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. degree — an amount
  10. present — the time now
  11. wound — an injury
  12. wake — a trail
  13. degree — temperature
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. degree — from a university
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. present — there
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. mark — a trace
  21. present — a gift
  22. mark — a grade
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. wound — an injury

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