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: land · swing · calf · bore · bowl · face · arm · suit

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. bore — to tire
  4. face — to point toward
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. swing — to play on
  7. swing — in golf
  8. face — part of the head
  9. suit — to fit
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. land — a country
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. suit — in cards
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. land — to come down
  19. suit — clothes
  20. bore — to drill
  21. swing — music
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. land — ground
  24. bowl — a dish

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