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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. current — electric
  3. cap — a hat
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. fall — to drop
  9. cap — a lid
  10. rock — music
  11. current — happening now
  12. craft — a skill
  13. court — for sport
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. rock — a stone
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. current — of water
  18. court — of law
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. craft — boats
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. fall — the season
  23. court — of a king
  24. cap — of ice

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