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: rash · kid · firm · ruler · cold · hand · calf · stand

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. kid — to tease
  7. hand — help
  8. stand — to bear
  9. cold — an illness
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. firm — steady
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. hand — in cards
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. rash — a series
  18. firm — decided
  19. firm — a company
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. cold — not warm
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. kid — child

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