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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. can — a tin
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. staff — a stick
  7. mate — a partner
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. last — to go on
  10. mate — to breed
  11. staff — employees
  12. can — to be able to
  13. last — final
  14. dip — to sink
  15. mate — a friend
  16. can — a tin
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. last — finally
  21. mine — for digging
  22. staff — employees
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. wax — to grow

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