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 116 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: calf · perch · content · mate · suit · land · stick · file

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. suit — in cards
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. land — a country
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. suit — to fit
  7. content — happy
  8. mate — a friend
  9. mate — a partner
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. file — a line of people
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. file — a document
  15. suit — clothes
  16. land — ground
  17. file — a tool
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. perch — the fish
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. land — to come down
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. content — the amount
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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