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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. object — an aim
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. bark — to shout
  9. race — a contest
  10. object — a thing
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. race — humankind
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. object — to protest
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. race — the arms race
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. bark — of a tree

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