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: foot · rock · pitcher · calf · wind · lie · track · mine

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. wind — moving air
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. mine — for digging
  6. rock — music
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. track — a song
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. foot — a measure
  11. rock — a stone
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. track — to keep track
  15. track — a path
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. wind — moving air
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. lie — to recline
  24. pitcher — a jug

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