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 did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. track — a song
  3. object — to protest
  4. object — an aim
  5. track — to keep track
  6. game — a match
  7. race — the arms race
  8. charge — electricity
  9. object — a thing
  10. rest — what's left
  11. race — a contest
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. rest — what's left
  14. game — wild animals
  15. club — for dancing
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. race — humankind
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. club — for golf
  20. charge — in control
  21. charge — a price
  22. rest — a break
  23. club — a group
  24. track — a path

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