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. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. band — a ring
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. net — in sport
  5. drill — army training
  6. net — for catching
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. band — a music group
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. lean — thin
  13. court — for sport
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. court — of a king
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. court — of law
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. lean — to bend
  21. net — after costs
  22. drill — a practice
  23. drill — the tool
  24. lean — to rest against

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