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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. bear — the animal
  7. game — wild animals
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. game — a match
  10. file — a tool
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. file — a document
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. craft — a skill
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. craft — boats
  21. file — a line of people
  22. rush — hurry
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. bear — the animal

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