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. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. last — finally
  3. mug — a face
  4. current — happening now
  5. rule — government
  6. last — to go on
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. mug — a cup
  12. last — final
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. current — electric
  16. current — of water
  17. wind — moving air
  18. rule — a law
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. wind — moving air
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. mug — to rob
  23. wax — to grow
  24. fan — to cool the air

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