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: rash · wave · pitcher · tear · fan · calf · pop · fall

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. fall — the season
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. tear — from crying
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. rash — a series
  9. tear — to rip
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. pop — music
  12. rash — hasty
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. pop — to visit
  16. pop — soda
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. fall — to drop
  20. tear — from crying
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. fall — to drop
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. wave — with your hand

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