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: wax · race · calf · spring · jam · net · lie · bat

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. race — humankind
  3. net — for catching
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. wax — to grow
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. net — in sport
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. spring — the season
  14. race — a contest
  15. spring — of water
  16. lie — to recline
  17. race — the arms race
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. spring — a coil
  20. bat — the animal
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. net — after costs
  24. wax — for sculpting

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