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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  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. pop — to visit
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. pop — music
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. band — a music group
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. mug — a cup
  8. dip — to sink
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. press — a publisher
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. press — to push
  14. band — a ring
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. net — for catching
  17. mug — to rob
  18. net — after costs
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. mug — a face
  21. net — in sport
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. pop — soda
  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