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 protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. scale — in music
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. board — a committee
  8. swing — music
  9. cold — not warm
  10. board — to get on
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. key — for a lock
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. swing — in golf
  17. key — the most important part
  18. snap — to click
  19. scale — size or range
  20. branch — a division
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. key — in music
  23. swing — to play on
  24. cold — an illness

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