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 116 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: calf · wound · bowl · key · tube · lean · cold · march

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. tube — the underground
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. lean — thin
  5. lean — to bend
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. march — the month
  9. march — the month
  10. wound — an injury
  11. tube — a container
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. march — music
  15. cold — not warm
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. key — the most important part
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. key — in music
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. wound — an injury
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. cold — an illness
  24. key — for a lock

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