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 116 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. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. tear — from crying
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. scale — size or range
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. tear — to rip
  8. press — to push
  9. club — for dancing
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. club — for golf
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. field — farmland
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. field — a subject
  17. field — for sport
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. press — newspapers
  20. club — a group
  21. press — a publisher
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. scale — in music
  24. tear — from crying

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