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: perch · fan · calf · trunk · staff · bowl · last · rest

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. last — to go on
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. rest — what's left
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. staff — employees
  10. staff — a stick
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. rest — what's left
  15. staff — employees
  16. last — final
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. last — finally
  21. rest — a break
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. perch — the fish

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