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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. spring — a coil
  3. object — an aim
  4. press — newspapers
  5. firm — decided
  6. press — a publisher
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. bat — the animal
  9. press — to push
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. kid — to tease
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. firm — a company
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. object — a thing
  17. firm — steady
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. spring — the season
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. spring — of water
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. kid — child

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