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 · lash · fall · rock · calf · spell · trunk · staff

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. staff — employees
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. fall — to drop
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. spell — letters
  7. rock — a stone
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. ball — a dance
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. fall — to drop
  12. staff — a stick
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. spell — a short time
  15. staff — employees
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. ball — a great time
  19. fall — the season
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. rock — music
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. spell — magic

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