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: toast · race · trunk · pound · rule · wind · bay · calf

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. toast — bread
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. rule — government
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. race — the arms race
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. wind — moving air
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. wind — moving air
  16. rule — a law
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. pound — a weight
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. race — humankind
  21. race — a contest
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. pound — to hit hard

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