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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. tear — from crying
  4. object — a thing
  5. pit — a hole
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. object — to protest
  8. march — the month
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. tear — from crying
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. tear — to rip
  14. deal — to handle
  15. march — the month
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. march — music
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. object — an aim
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. pit — in a 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