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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. mark — a trace
  4. rock — music
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. band — a ring
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. sharp — clever
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. rock — a stone
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. band — a music group
  15. row — to paddle
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. rest — what's left
  18. row — a line
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. mark — a grade
  23. rest — a break
  24. trunk — of a tree

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