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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. ball — a dance
  3. snap — to click
  4. swing — in golf
  5. swing — music
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. saw — the tool
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. mate — a friend
  13. saw — the tool
  14. ball — a great time
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. kid — child
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. kid — to tease
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. mate — to breed
  21. mate — a partner
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. swing — to play on
  24. stem — to come from

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