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 120 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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. spell — a short time
  3. current — electric
  4. foot — a measure
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. content — happy
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. mine — for digging
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. content — the amount
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. spell — magic
  13. fine — high quality
  14. spell — letters
  15. current — happening now
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. perch — the fish
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. fine — all right
  23. current — of water
  24. mine — belonging to me

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