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: wind · calf · present · net · stand · hide · trunk · bat

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. bat — the animal
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. net — for catching
  7. present — there
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. net — after costs
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. stand — to bear
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. wind — moving air
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. present — a gift
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. net — in sport
  22. present — the time now
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. wind — moving air

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