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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. squash — to crush
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. row — a line
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. bat — the animal
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. bark — to shout
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. row — to paddle
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. squash — the sport
  24. wave — with your hand

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