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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. land — to come down
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. rash — a series
  5. toast — bread
  6. rash — hasty
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. cue — a hint
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. land — a country
  11. cue — for pool
  12. vault — a safe
  13. cue — a signal
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. land — ground
  18. calf — a young animal

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