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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: mate · wave · calf · race · fall · kid

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. fall — to drop
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. fall — to drop
  5. mate — a friend
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. kid — to tease
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. mate — to breed
  11. race — humankind
  12. race — the arms race
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. mate — a partner
  16. race — a contest
  17. fall — the season
  18. calf — of the leg

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