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: kid · cabinet · calf · bark · wound · jam · lie · key

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. key — the most important part
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. key — in music
  7. bark — to shout
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. key — for a lock
  11. lie — to recline
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. kid — to tease
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. wound — an injury
  21. kid — child
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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