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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. charge — electricity
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. dip — to sink
  5. cell — a phone
  6. cold — not warm
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. charge — a price
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. scale — in music
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. cold — an illness
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. rock — music
  19. charge — in control
  20. rock — a stone
  21. sharp — clever
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. cell — in biology
  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