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. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. tube — the underground
  4. cap — of ice
  5. cap — a lid
  6. tube — a container
  7. craft — boats
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. cap — a hat
  12. cue — a hint
  13. tear — to rip
  14. tear — from crying
  15. tear — from crying
  16. kid — to tease
  17. date — the fruit
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. kid — child
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. cue — for pool
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. cue — a signal
  24. craft — a skill

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