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 120 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 had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. tube — the underground
  3. object — a thing
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. last — finally
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. tear — from crying
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. file — a tool
  11. last — final
  12. file — a line of people
  13. staff — employees
  14. bore — to tire
  15. object — an aim
  16. tear — from crying
  17. object — to protest
  18. bore — to drill
  19. tear — to rip
  20. file — a document
  21. staff — employees
  22. tube — a container
  23. staff — a stick
  24. last — to go on

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