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: craft · kick · net · calf · nail · cold · cabinet · lean

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. net — after costs
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. net — for catching
  8. cold — an illness
  9. lean — thin
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. craft — boats
  13. craft — a skill
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. lean — to bend
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. cold — not warm
  20. net — in sport
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. kick — in football
  24. kick — with a leg

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