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 · key · club · capital · rush · clip · swing · bear

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. club — for golf
  7. capital — a city
  8. clip — for paper
  9. clip — to cut
  10. swing — to play on
  11. club — for dancing
  12. key — for a lock
  13. clip — a video
  14. swing — in golf
  15. bear — the animal
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. swing — music
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. bear — the animal
  20. capital — money
  21. key — the most important part
  22. club — a group
  23. rush — hurry
  24. key — in 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