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 pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. board — to get on
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. mark — a grade
  9. land — ground
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. game — a match
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. swing — in golf
  17. mark — a trace
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. land — to come down
  21. board — a committee
  22. swing — music
  23. swing — to play on
  24. land — a country

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