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 had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. swing — to play on
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. staff — employees
  7. scale — in music
  8. cold — not warm
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. staff — a stick
  11. row — to paddle
  12. scale — size or range
  13. toast — bread
  14. staff — employees
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. swing — in golf
  18. swing — music
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. row — a line
  24. calf — a young animal

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