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. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. wind — moving air
  3. wind — moving air
  4. rest — what's left
  5. game — wild animals
  6. game — a match
  7. staff — employees
  8. rest — what's left
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. staff — employees
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. staff — a stick
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. rest — a break
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. court — of a king
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. court — of law
  23. court — for sport
  24. game — a kind of play

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