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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. march — the month
  5. drill — a practice
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. wax — to grow
  9. wound — an injury
  10. object — to protest
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. object — a thing
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. wound — an injury
  15. press — to push
  16. drill — the tool
  17. press — a publisher
  18. object — an aim
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. march — music
  22. drill — army training
  23. march — the month
  24. press — newspapers

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