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 116 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 ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. cell — in biology
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. key — for a lock
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. bat — the animal
  11. key — the most important part
  12. track — to keep track
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. track — a path
  15. track — a song
  16. wake — a trail
  17. shower — to wash
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. cell — a phone
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. key — in music
  24. shower — rain

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