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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. court — of law
  6. court — for sport
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. land — a country
  9. scale — size or range
  10. mine — for digging
  11. mate — a friend
  12. land — ground
  13. wind — moving air
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. court — of a king
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. mate — to breed
  19. foot — a measure
  20. wind — moving air
  21. land — to come down
  22. mate — a partner
  23. scale — in music
  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