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 King held a masked ________________.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. pop — soda
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. clip — a video
  8. pop — music
  9. clip — to cut
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. ball — a great time
  12. clip — for paper
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. key — for a lock
  15. pop — to visit
  16. key — the most important part
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. rock — music
  19. key — in music
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. rock — a stone

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