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 · land · chest · march · pass · bark · fan · mouse

  1. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. pass — a permit
  4. chest — a box
  5. land — ground
  6. march — the month
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. land — a country
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. bark — to shout
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. chest — of your body
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. march — music
  22. march — the month
  23. land — to come down
  24. fan — a supporter

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