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

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. ball — a great time
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. staff — employees
  6. wound — an injury
  7. wound — an injury
  8. staff — a stick
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. deal — to handle
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. cell — a phone
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. staff — employees
  18. cell — in biology

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