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. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. season — of the year
  7. land — to come down
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. land — a country
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. season — in sport
  17. wound — an injury
  18. object — a thing
  19. object — to protest
  20. object — an aim
  21. wound — an injury
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. land — ground
  24. calf — a young animal

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