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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. race — humankind
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. pound — a weight
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. tube — the underground
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. race — a contest
  13. chair — a leader
  14. craft — boats
  15. craft — a skill
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. mine — for digging
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. tube — a container
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. race — the arms race

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