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: bulb · pit · scale · roll · hand · sharp · calf · can

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. scale — in music
  4. can — to be able to
  5. roll — a cake
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. bulb — for light
  8. roll — a list
  9. sharp — clever
  10. pit — in a race
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. can — a tin
  14. pit — a hole
  15. scale — size or range
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. can — a tin
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. hand — in cards
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. bulb — for light
  24. scale — for weighing

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