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 120 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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. cap — a hat
  4. shower — rain
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. wound — an injury
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. shower — to wash
  14. scale — size or range
  15. cap — of ice
  16. bat — the animal
  17. scale — in music
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. wound — an injury
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. cap — a lid

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