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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. game — wild animals
  4. file — a document
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. wind — moving air
  8. file — a tool
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. game — a match
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. tube — the underground
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. wind — moving air
  22. file — a line of people
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. trunk — of a car

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