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: foot · club · calf · cabinet · fan · saw · wound · pop

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. club — for golf
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. club — a group
  8. wound — an injury
  9. saw — the tool
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. saw — the tool
  13. pop — music
  14. wound — an injury
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. club — for dancing
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. pop — soda
  22. pop — to visit
  23. foot — a measure
  24. calf — of the leg

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