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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. band — a ring
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. clip — a video
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. hand — help
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. tube — a container
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. pitch — completely
  17. clip — to cut
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. hand — in cards
  20. clip — for paper
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. tube — the underground
  23. band — a music group
  24. band — a rubber band

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