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 not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. cap — of ice
  5. bulb — for light
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. mine — for digging
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. race — humankind
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. cap — a lid
  14. race — the arms race
  15. wind — moving air
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. wind — moving air
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. wound — an injury
  21. wound — an injury
  22. cap — a hat
  23. race — a contest
  24. bulb — for light

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