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 giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. snap — to click
  5. scale — size or range
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. bound — tied together
  9. cue — a signal
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. file — a document
  14. bound — obliged
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. cue — for pool
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. file — a tool
  19. bound — certain
  20. cue — a hint
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. file — a line of people
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. scale — in music

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