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: field · mug · straw · rash · calf · mouse · lash · perch

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. field — a subject
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. rash — a series
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. mug — a cup
  10. mug — to rob
  11. field — farmland
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. field — for sport
  19. perch — the fish
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. rash — hasty
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. mug — a face

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