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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. band — a ring
  4. suit — in cards
  5. root — the cause
  6. hand — help
  7. craft — boats
  8. tear — to rip
  9. last — finally
  10. suit — to fit
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. tear — from crying
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. root — of a plant
  15. craft — a skill
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. root — of a word
  19. hand — in cards
  20. last — final
  21. last — to go on
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. band — a music group
  24. suit — clothes

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