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: calf · cold · wave · sharp · prune · suit · kick · kid

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. kid — child
  3. kick — in football
  4. suit — to fit
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. suit — clothes
  10. sharp — clever
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. suit — in cards
  14. prune — to trim
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. cold — not warm
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. kid — to tease
  19. cold — an illness
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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