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 120 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 ________________ took off on time.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. ground — crushed
  5. cold — an illness
  6. cold — not warm
  7. ground — a position
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. ground — the earth
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. bulb — for light
  14. board — to get on
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. kick — in football
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. board — a committee
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. bulb — for light
  22. plane — a tool
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. kick — a thrill

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