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: fall · wind · calf · sharp · press · firm · arm · last

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. fall — to drop
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. last — final
  5. last — to go on
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. fall — to drop
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. sharp — clever
  11. press — a publisher
  12. firm — steady
  13. press — to push
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. firm — a company
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. firm — decided
  18. wind — moving air
  19. fall — the season
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. wind — moving air
  22. press — newspapers
  23. last — finally
  24. calf — of the 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