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 · bass · calf · last · rock · mine · bulb · mug

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  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. mug — a face
  2. mug — to rob
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. mine — for digging
  5. last — final
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. last — to go on
  9. bulb — for light
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. bass — low music
  12. land — to come down
  13. mug — a cup
  14. bulb — for light
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. rock — music
  18. land — a country
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. bass — the fish
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. land — ground
  23. rock — a stone
  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