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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. ground — crushed
  5. drill — army training
  6. staff — employees
  7. drill — a practice
  8. saw — the tool
  9. clip — to cut
  10. ground — the earth
  11. clip — for paper
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. staff — employees
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. suit — to fit
  16. drill — the tool
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. staff — a stick
  19. ground — a position
  20. suit — clothes
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. suit — in cards
  23. clip — a video
  24. saw — the tool

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