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: mouse · cabinet · ground · can · calf · tear · land · bat

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. land — ground
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. ground — the earth
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. land — a country
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. tear — to rip
  11. tear — from crying
  12. bat — the animal
  13. can — a tin
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. can — a tin
  16. can — to be able to
  17. land — to come down
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. ground — a position
  23. ground — crushed
  24. tear — from crying

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