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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. 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 — of the leg
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. board — a committee
  7. mate — to breed
  8. mate — a partner
  9. can — a tin
  10. foot — a measure
  11. kid — to tease
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. can — a tin
  15. game — a match
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. mate — a friend
  19. game — wild animals
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. can — to be able to
  22. board — to get on
  23. kid — child
  24. 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