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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. cap — of ice
  4. bass — the fish
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. kid — child
  7. bass — low music
  8. kid — to tease
  9. swing — music
  10. face — part of the head
  11. rule — government
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. cap — a hat
  14. last — final
  15. swing — to play on
  16. face — to confront
  17. face — to point toward
  18. last — to go on
  19. cap — a lid
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. rule — a law
  22. swing — in golf
  23. last — finally
  24. calf — of the leg

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