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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. cap — of ice
  4. swing — in golf
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. mug — to rob
  7. chest — a box
  8. chest — of your body
  9. rest — what's left
  10. cap — a lid
  11. rest — what's left
  12. swing — music
  13. mug — a cup
  14. club — for golf
  15. chest — of your body
  16. sharp — clever
  17. rest — a break
  18. club — for dancing
  19. club — a group
  20. mug — a face
  21. cap — a hat
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. calf — of the leg

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