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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. snap — to click
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. rest — a break
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. rest — what's left
  8. mark — a grade
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. degree — temperature
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. degree — an amount
  14. rest — what's left
  15. fine — high quality
  16. mark — a trace
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. pound — a weight
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. fine — all right
  21. foot — a measure
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. degree — from a university

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