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: object · calf · court · cell · wax · current · bear · rash

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. bear — the animal
  3. court — for sport
  4. cell — a phone
  5. object — a thing
  6. current — of water
  7. current — electric
  8. court — of a king
  9. current — happening now
  10. wax — to grow
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. rash — hasty
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. rash — a series
  20. bear — the animal
  21. court — of law
  22. cell — in biology
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. object — an aim

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