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: craft · spring · foot · lean · calf · hand · wake · club

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. club — for golf
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. craft — boats
  7. spring — the season
  8. lean — to bend
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. lean — thin
  11. foot — a measure
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. hand — help
  15. spring — of water
  16. craft — a skill
  17. hand — in cards
  18. club — for dancing
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. club — a group
  23. wake — a trail
  24. spring — a coil

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