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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. cap — a hat
  3. spell — a short time
  4. cap — of ice
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. fall — to drop
  8. spell — magic
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. cap — a lid
  12. lean — to bend
  13. lean — thin
  14. cold — not warm
  15. fall — the season
  16. suit — in cards
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. suit — clothes
  19. suit — to fit
  20. fall — to drop
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. cold — an illness
  23. spell — letters
  24. coach — a trainer

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