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: key · calf · pit · bear · cold · hide · cell · wind

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. cold — not warm
  3. cell — a phone
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. key — in music
  8. bear — the animal
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. bear — the animal
  12. pit — in a race
  13. key — for a lock
  14. cold — an illness
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. key — the most important part
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. wind — moving air
  20. pit — a hole
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. wind — moving air

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