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 · cell · saw · tear · bear · tube · fork · wind

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. tear — from crying
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. saw — the tool
  5. bear — the animal
  6. wind — moving air
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. tear — from crying
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. tube — the underground
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. cell — a phone
  13. cell — in biology
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. tear — to rip
  16. bear — the animal
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. saw — the tool
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. wind — moving air
  22. tube — a container
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. fork — in a road

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