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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. pound — a weight
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. spell — letters
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. stem — to come from
  12. spell — a short time
  13. club — for golf
  14. club — for dancing
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. game — a match
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. chair — a leader
  20. game — wild animals
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. spell — magic

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