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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. scale — size or range
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. pound — a weight
  5. scale — in music
  6. perch — the fish
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. kid — to tease
  15. drill — a practice
  16. drill — army training
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. drill — the tool
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. kid — child
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. pound — to hit hard

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