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: game · pop · rock · mine · club · tube · calf · sharp

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. club — for golf
  4. mine — for digging
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. pop — soda
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. pop — to visit
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. club — a group
  13. game — wild animals
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. pop — music
  16. sharp — clever
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. rock — music
  19. tube — the underground
  20. tube — a container
  21. rock — a stone
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. club — for dancing
  24. calf — a young animal

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