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: lash · fine · hand · staff · court · bear · nail · calf

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. court — of a king
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. court — for sport
  6. bear — the animal
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. staff — employees
  11. hand — in cards
  12. bear — the animal
  13. hand — help
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. staff — employees
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. fine — all right
  19. fine — high quality
  20. staff — a stick
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. court — of law
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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