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 did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. charge — a price
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. degree — an amount
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. swing — in golf
  7. charge — electricity
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. row — to paddle
  10. fall — to drop
  11. swing — to play on
  12. fall — the season
  13. charge — in control
  14. degree — temperature
  15. swing — music
  16. vault — a safe
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. degree — from a university
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. fall — to drop
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. row — a line

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