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 giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. charge — in control
  3. cell — in biology
  4. rock — music
  5. ground — a position
  6. land — to come down
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. charge — a price
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. charge — electricity
  11. cell — a phone
  12. tear — to rip
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. tear — from crying
  15. tear — from crying
  16. craft — a skill
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. ground — crushed
  20. ground — the earth
  21. craft — boats
  22. rock — a stone
  23. land — a country
  24. land — ground

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