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 116 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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. court — of a king
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. kid — child
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. present — there
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. bulb — for light
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. bulb — for light
  15. court — of law
  16. hand — in cards
  17. present — the time now
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. hand — help
  20. court — for sport
  21. present — a gift
  22. kid — to tease
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. nail — on a finger

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