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. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. track — to keep track
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. content — happy
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. band — a ring
  10. rash — hasty
  11. wound — an injury
  12. band — a music group
  13. wound — an injury
  14. face — to point toward
  15. track — a path
  16. face — part of the head
  17. track — a song
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. rash — a series
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. lean — thin
  22. lean — to bend
  23. content — the amount
  24. face — to confront

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