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. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. key — the most important part
  3. land — to come down
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. land — ground
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. rash — a series
  10. chair — a leader
  11. craft — a skill
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. key — for a lock
  14. perch — the fish
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. craft — boats
  17. key — in music
  18. land — a country
  19. mine — for digging
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. rash — hasty

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