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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. firm — steady
  3. deal — to handle
  4. firm — decided
  5. bat — the animal
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. rash — a series
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. chest — of your body
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. chest — a box
  13. rash — hasty
  14. sharp — clever
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. firm — a company
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. chest — of your body
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. deal — an agreement

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