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

Word bank: kid · staff · fan · wake · calf · lean

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. staff — employees
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. staff — a stick
  7. wake — a trail
  8. lean — to bend
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. staff — employees
  14. lean — thin
  15. kid — child
  16. kid — to tease
  17. fan — a supporter
  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