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 116 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 · lean · key · tear · spring · staff · chair · pop

  1. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. key — in music
  5. pop — soda
  6. chair — a leader
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. lean — thin
  9. spring — a coil
  10. pop — music
  11. staff — a stick
  12. spring — the season
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. key — the most important part
  16. tear — from crying
  17. staff — employees
  18. tear — to rip
  19. key — for a lock
  20. spring — of water
  21. staff — employees
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. pop — to visit
  24. lean — to bend

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