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: march · rash · degree · snap · calf · foot · charge · content

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. snap — to click
  3. march — the month
  4. rash — a series
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. content — happy
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. degree — temperature
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. rash — hasty
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. content — the amount
  14. foot — a measure
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. charge — electricity
  18. charge — in control
  19. march — the month
  20. degree — from a university
  21. march — music
  22. charge — a price
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. degree — an amount

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