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. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. bass — the fish
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. rock — music
  6. court — for sport
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. rest — what's left
  10. bass — low music
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. rest — what's left
  13. sharp — clever
  14. rock — a stone
  15. scale — size or range
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. scale — in music
  18. rest — a break
  19. court — of law
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. court — of a king
  22. cell — a phone
  23. cell — in biology
  24. bass — the instrument

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