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: firm · fan · lean · calf · band · clip · mate · chair

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. band — a ring
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. lean — thin
  5. mate — a friend
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. clip — to cut
  11. firm — a company
  12. clip — a video
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. mate — a partner
  15. clip — for paper
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. lean — to bend
  18. chair — a leader
  19. band — a music group
  20. firm — decided
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. mate — to breed
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. band — a rubber band

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