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: calf · arm · hand · drill · race · fan · bear · pop

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. bear — the animal
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. pop — to visit
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. race — humankind
  11. hand — in cards
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. pop — music
  16. drill — the tool
  17. bear — the animal
  18. race — the arms race
  19. race — a contest
  20. drill — a practice
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. pop — soda
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. drill — army training

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