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 120 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: fan · tear · ball · cold · hide · calf · safe · row

  1. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. ball — a great time
  4. ball — a dance
  5. cold — an illness
  6. row — a line
  7. row — to paddle
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. tear — from crying
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. tear — to rip
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. cold — not warm
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. tear — from crying
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. safe — out of danger

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