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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. hand — in cards
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. can — a tin
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. wax — to grow
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. drill — army training
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. rush — hurry
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. scale — in music
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. drill — a practice
  19. can — a tin
  20. scale — size or range
  21. mine — for digging
  22. can — to be able to
  23. drill — the tool
  24. calf — a young animal

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