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: straw · lash · net · calf · lie · date · rest · kid

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. kid — to tease
  3. net — in sport
  4. rest — what's left
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. lie — to recline
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. rest — a break
  9. kid — child
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. net — after costs
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. rest — what's left
  17. net — for catching
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. date — the fruit
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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