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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. hand — help
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. band — a ring
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. mine — for digging
  8. hand — in cards
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. rock — a stone
  18. rock — music
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. band — a music group

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