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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. current — happening now
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. bound — obliged
  6. bound — certain
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. pop — soda
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. mine — for digging
  12. pop — to visit
  13. craft — a skill
  14. current — electric
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. craft — boats
  17. current — of water
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. kick — in football
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. bound — tied together
  22. pop — music
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. calf — a young animal

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