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 120 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: calf · hide · chest · club · tube · leaves · object · staff

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. object — an aim
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. object — to protest
  7. object — a thing
  8. chest — of your body
  9. staff — employees
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. chest — a box
  13. chest — of your body
  14. staff — a stick
  15. club — a group
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. tube — the underground
  21. club — for dancing
  22. tube — a container
  23. staff — employees
  24. club — for golf

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