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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. spell — magic
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. spell — letters
  5. fall — to drop
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. rest — what's left
  8. can — a tin
  9. fall — to drop
  10. content — the amount
  11. court — of a king
  12. court — for sport
  13. content — happy
  14. spring — a coil
  15. rest — what's left
  16. can — to be able to
  17. rest — a break
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. spring — of water
  20. court — of law
  21. spring — the season
  22. can — a tin
  23. spell — a short time
  24. calf — a young animal

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