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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. root — the cause
  5. sharp — clever
  6. cue — a signal
  7. board — a committee
  8. cue — a hint
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. cue — for pool
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. root — of a plant
  16. kid — child
  17. kid — to tease
  18. board — to get on
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. root — of a word
  23. bat — the animal
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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