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 120 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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. chest — a box
  4. ball — a great time
  5. chest — of your body
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. band — a music group
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. chair — a leader
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. band — a ring
  12. chest — of your body
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. row — to paddle
  15. staff — employees
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. staff — a stick
  18. row — a line
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. staff — employees
  22. wound — an injury
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. ball — a dance

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