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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. chest — a box
  8. chest — of your body
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. object — a thing
  12. chest — of your body
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. object — an aim
  16. fork — in a road
  17. mate — to breed
  18. object — to protest
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. mate — a friend
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. mate — a partner
  24. patient — a sick person

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