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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. land — a country
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. firm — decided
  5. spell — letters
  6. land — to come down
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. track — to keep track
  9. track — a song
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. firm — a company
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. spell — magic
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. track — a path
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. wound — an injury
  20. land — ground
  21. firm — steady
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. spell — a short time

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