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. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. tube — the underground
  3. rest — a break
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. tube — a container
  7. rush — hurry
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. wind — moving air
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. wind — moving air
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. rest — what's left
  20. hand — help
  21. rest — what's left
  22. hand — in cards
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. dip — to sink

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