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: cell · fall · lash · mine · calf · land · march · wax

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. land — ground
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. fall — the season
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. march — the month
  13. wax — to grow
  14. fall — to drop
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. march — the month
  17. fall — to drop
  18. cell — a phone
  19. cell — in biology
  20. march — music
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. land — to come down
  23. land — a country
  24. mine — for digging

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