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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. can — a tin
  3. can — to be able to
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. game — a match
  6. field — for sport
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. plane — a tool
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. wake — a trail
  11. can — a tin
  12. field — a subject
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. game — wild animals
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. swing — to play on
  17. foot — a measure
  18. swing — in golf
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. swing — music
  24. field — farmland

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