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: chest · cabinet · mouse · net · calf · roll · wax · kid

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. roll — a list
  4. chest — of your body
  5. net — for catching
  6. wax — to grow
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. net — after costs
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. net — in sport
  14. chest — a box
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. chest — of your body
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. kid — to tease
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. roll — a cake
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. kid — child
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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