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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. rest — what's left
  3. kick — in football
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. band — a ring
  6. tube — a container
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. band — a music group
  9. tube — the underground
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. cell — a phone
  13. rest — what's left
  14. row — a line
  15. row — to paddle
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. ball — a great time
  23. ball — a dance
  24. cell — in biology

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