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: calf · fall · ruler · clip · coach · swing

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. swing — to play on
  3. swing — music
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. fall — the season
  6. clip — a video
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. swing — in golf
  10. fall — to drop
  11. clip — for paper
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. fall — to drop
  14. clip — to cut
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. ruler — for measuring

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