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: bear · fall · saw · racket · calf · root · pound · mouse

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. bear — the animal
  4. saw — the tool
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. fall — the season
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. fall — to drop
  10. fall — to drop
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. pound — a weight
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. saw — the tool
  20. root — the cause
  21. root — of a plant
  22. bear — the animal
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. root — of a word

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