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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. cell — a phone
  4. tear — from crying
  5. sharp — clever
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. chest — a box
  11. perch — the fish
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. tear — from crying
  15. chest — of your body
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. chest — of your body
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. tear — to rip
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. wave — of the sea

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