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. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. pit — a hole
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. root — of a word
  7. fall — the season
  8. cell — a phone
  9. fall — to drop
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. root — the cause
  18. fall — to drop
  19. pit — in a race
  20. root — of a plant
  21. cell — in biology
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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