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: cell · net · roll · calf · safe · squash · lash · hand

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. roll — a cake
  3. hand — help
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. net — for catching
  6. squash — to crush
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. cell — a phone
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. cell — in biology
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. roll — a list
  16. squash — the sport
  17. net — in sport
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. hand — in cards
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. squash — the vegetable

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