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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. ball — a great time
  4. wound — an injury
  5. lean — to bend
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. wound — an injury
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. root — of a word
  14. lean — thin
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. deal — to handle
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. root — the cause
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. root — of a plant
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. ball — a dance

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