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: sharp · wake · tear · straw · key · spring · track · calf

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. spring — a coil
  4. tear — to rip
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. track — a song
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. tear — from crying
  10. key — the most important part
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. spring — of water
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. spring — the season
  17. track — a path
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. key — for a lock
  20. wake — a trail
  21. sharp — clever
  22. track — to keep track
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. tear — from crying

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