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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. snap — to click
  4. clip — a video
  5. root — of a plant
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. root — the cause
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. fork — in a road
  12. club — a group
  13. club — for dancing
  14. clip — to cut
  15. saw — the tool
  16. root — of a word
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. club — for golf
  19. suit — clothes
  20. suit — to fit
  21. clip — for paper
  22. saw — the tool
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. suit — in cards

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