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: club · content · cold · fan · safe · pitch · firm · calf

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. cold — not warm
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. club — for golf
  6. content — the amount
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. pitch — completely
  10. content — happy
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. club — for dancing
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. firm — decided
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. cold — an illness
  22. firm — a company
  23. firm — steady
  24. pitch — a sports field

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