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 museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. track — to keep track
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. track — a path
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. present — there
  8. present — the time now
  9. hand — in cards
  10. present — a gift
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. wax — to grow
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. hand — help
  20. foot — a measure
  21. perch — the fish
  22. deal — to handle
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. track — a song

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