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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. shower — to wash
  5. row — a line
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. craft — boats
  8. wind — moving air
  9. mug — a face
  10. wind — moving air
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. row — to paddle
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. craft — a skill
  15. cap — a lid
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. cap — a hat
  19. cell — a phone
  20. cap — of ice
  21. shower — rain
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. mug — to rob
  24. mug — a cup

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