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: leaves · clip · toast · calf · snap · bass · root · pop

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. bass — the fish
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. bass — low music
  5. clip — to cut
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. clip — for paper
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. toast — bread
  13. root — of a word
  14. pop — soda
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. root — the cause
  17. pop — music
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. clip — a video
  21. snap — to click
  22. pop — to visit
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. root — of a plant

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