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 · wind · hide · mark · press · wave · racket · bat

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. mark — a trace
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. bat — the animal
  6. mark — a grade
  7. wind — moving air
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. press — a publisher
  16. wind — moving air
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. press — to push
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. press — newspapers

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