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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. lean — to bend
  3. land — a country
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. lean — thin
  6. squash — the sport
  7. squash — to crush
  8. key — the most important part
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. row — to paddle
  11. land — to come down
  12. march — music
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. key — in music
  16. land — ground
  17. key — for a lock
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. march — the month
  20. row — a line
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. march — the month
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. squash — the vegetable

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