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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: pit · march · scale · fork · chair · calf

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. fork — in a road
  3. march — the month
  4. scale — size or range
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. march — the month
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. chair — a leader
  12. pit — a hole
  13. march — music
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. pit — in a race
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. scale — in music
  18. fork — to eat with

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