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: wind · squash · calf · lean · object · last · rest · foot

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. foot — a measure
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. rest — what's left
  5. object — an aim
  6. object — a thing
  7. squash — the sport
  8. rest — what's left
  9. lean — to bend
  10. last — final
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. rest — a break
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. last — to go on
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. wind — moving air
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. last — finally
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. object — to protest
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. squash — to crush
  24. lean — thin

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