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 was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. board — a committee
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. tube — the underground
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. saw — the tool
  10. mine — for digging
  11. board — to get on
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. tube — a container
  16. deal — to handle
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. saw — the tool

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