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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. cold — not warm
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. saw — the tool
  9. saw — the tool
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. roll — a cake
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. roll — a list
  14. bulb — for light
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. bulb — for light
  19. kick — in football
  20. fork — in a road
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. foot — a measure
  23. cold — an illness
  24. kick — with a leg

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