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: chest · wax · shower · rock · suit · lash · mine · calf

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. chest — of your body
  4. wax — to grow
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. suit — clothes
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. mine — for digging
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. shower — to wash
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. chest — a box
  17. rock — a stone
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. shower — rain
  20. suit — to fit
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. suit — in cards
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. rock — music

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