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: fan · kid · rock · cabinet · calf · hide · hand · wake

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. hand — help
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. kid — child
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. kid — to tease
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. rock — a stone
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. hand — in cards
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. wake — a trail
  20. rock — music
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. hide — to keep secret

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