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 116 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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. kid — to tease
  4. press — newspapers
  5. lie — to recline
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. bear — the animal
  9. shower — rain
  10. tube — a container
  11. spell — a short time
  12. kid — child
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. tube — the underground
  17. press — a publisher
  18. shower — to wash
  19. press — to push
  20. bear — the animal
  21. spell — letters
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. spell — magic
  24. calf — a young animal

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