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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. spring — of water
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. mate — a partner
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. rest — what's left
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. spring — the season
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. mark — a grade
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. spring — a coil
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. mate — a friend
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. rest — a break
  18. rest — what's left
  19. mark — a trace
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. safe — a strongbox

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