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 124 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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. chair — a leader
  5. wind — moving air
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. prune — to trim
  10. present — the time now
  11. present — a gift
  12. fall — to drop
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. wind — moving air
  16. fall — the season
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. present — there
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. prune — to trim
  24. fall — to drop

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