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 124 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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. shower — to wash
  4. file — a line of people
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. mark — a trace
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. game — wild animals
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. file — a document
  12. shower — rain
  13. file — a tool
  14. game — a match
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. track — a song
  18. track — a path
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. track — to keep track
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. leaves — to go away

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