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 hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. saw — the tool
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. saw — the tool
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. date — the fruit
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. sharp — clever
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. capital — money
  20. wax — to grow
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. capital — a city

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