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

Word bank: lash · capital · saw · march · swing · ball · object · calf

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. ball — a dance
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. ball — a great time
  6. march — the month
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. saw — the tool
  9. capital — a city
  10. march — music
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. object — to protest
  16. saw — the tool
  17. object — an aim
  18. swing — in golf
  19. object — a thing
  20. march — the month
  21. swing — to play on
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. capital — money
  24. swing — 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