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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. craft — boats
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. object — to protest
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. wax — to grow
  10. object — an aim
  11. object — a thing
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. club — for dancing
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. club — for golf
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. snap — to click
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. content — happy
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. craft — a skill
  24. club — a group

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