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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. pop — soda
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. scale — size or range
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. mate — a friend
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. pop — to visit
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. pop — music
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. mate — to breed
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. scale — in music

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