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. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. last — to go on
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. tube — a container
  5. tube — the underground
  6. last — finally
  7. court — of law
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. stand — to bear
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. last — final
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. court — for sport
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. court — of a king
  24. stand — on your feet

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