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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. wake — a trail
  5. suit — clothes
  6. cold — not warm
  7. suit — to fit
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. suit — in cards
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. last — finally
  12. last — final
  13. cold — an illness
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. snap — to click
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. wound — an injury
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. wound — an injury
  24. last — to go on

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