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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. capital — money
  3. pass — a permit
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. content — the amount
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. capital — a city
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. fine — all right
  14. bat — the animal
  15. content — happy
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. fine — high quality
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. capital — a big letter

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