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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. staff — employees
  4. can — to be able to
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. staff — employees
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. can — a tin
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. content — happy
  11. can — a tin
  12. staff — a stick
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. content — the amount
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. arm — part of the body
  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