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: row · calf · date · chest · tear · net · bay · toast

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. tear — from crying
  5. net — after costs
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. chest — of your body
  8. net — in sport
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. date — the fruit
  11. tear — from crying
  12. chest — a box
  13. chest — of your body
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. toast — bread
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. tear — to rip
  19. row — a line
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. net — for catching
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. row — to paddle

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