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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. key — in music
  3. row — a line
  4. ball — a dance
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. deal — to handle
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. mark — a grade
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. mark — a trace
  17. row — to paddle
  18. ball — a great time
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. key — the most important part
  22. sharp — clever
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. key — for a lock

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