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: safe · swing · cue · trunk · object · last · calf · degree

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. object — an aim
  3. last — to go on
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. swing — in golf
  7. degree — from a university
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. swing — music
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. object — to protest
  13. swing — to play on
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. degree — an amount
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. object — a thing
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. cue — a hint
  20. cue — for pool
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. degree — temperature
  23. last — final
  24. last — finally

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