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 120 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: tear · calf · band · chip · hide · court · chest · wave

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. chip — for betting
  5. court — of law
  6. court — of a king
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. chip — to eat
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. chest — a box
  12. court — for sport
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. band — a music group
  15. tear — from crying
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. chest — of your body
  18. chest — of your body
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. tear — from crying
  22. band — a ring
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. calf — a young animal

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