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 120 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: shower · cabinet · tube · net · dip · snap · lash · calf

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. shower — rain
  5. net — for catching
  6. shower — to wash
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. snap — to click
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. tube — the underground
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. dip — to sink
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. net — after costs
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. net — in sport
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. tube — a container

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