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: ball · lean · fan · calf · rest · bark · cell · fall

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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. bark — to shout
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. rest — what's left
  7. lean — to bend
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. rest — what's left
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. ball — a great time
  12. rest — a break
  13. ball — a dance
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. cell — a phone
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. fall — the season
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. fall — to drop
  21. cell — in biology
  22. lean — thin
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. ball — a round shape

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