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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. object — a thing
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. mine — for digging
  5. cap — a lid
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. mark — a grade
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. cap — a hat
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. mark — a trace
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. rush — hurry
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. cap — of ice
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. object — an aim

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