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 King held a masked ________________.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. swing — music
  4. present — a gift
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. bark — to shout
  8. present — the time now
  9. swing — in golf
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. ball — a great time
  13. present — there
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. swing — to play on
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. game — wild animals
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. game — a match

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