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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. mug — a face
  3. key — for a lock
  4. rest — a break
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. rest — what's left
  7. mug — to rob
  8. march — the month
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. march — the month
  11. land — to come down
  12. land — a country
  13. content — happy
  14. key — the most important part
  15. mug — a cup
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. content — the amount
  18. key — in music
  19. bass — low music
  20. march — music
  21. land — ground
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. bass — the fish
  24. rest — what's left

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