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: calf · pitch · clip · hide · spring · rest · wax · spell

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. wax — to grow
  3. rest — what's left
  4. spell — letters
  5. clip — a video
  6. spring — a coil
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. clip — to cut
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. spring — of water
  13. spell — magic
  14. clip — for paper
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. spell — a short time
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. rest — a break
  21. spring — the season
  22. rest — what's left
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. pitch — completely

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