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. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  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. calf — a young animal
  2. squash — the sport
  3. mark — a trace
  4. game — a match
  5. wax — to grow
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. bass — the fish
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. game — wild animals
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. squash — to crush
  14. chair — a leader
  15. rash — hasty
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. bass — low music
  19. mark — a grade
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. rash — a series
  23. calf — a young animal
  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