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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. pitch — completely
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. kid — child
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. object — to protest
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. kid — to tease
  14. spell — a short time
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. spell — magic
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. object — an aim
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. object — a thing
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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