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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. press — newspapers
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. press — a publisher
  15. clip — to cut
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. clip — for paper
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. clip — a video
  20. bat — the animal
  21. bear — the animal
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. press — to push

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