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 120 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: can · chair · cap · wound · calf · game · craft · stand

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. wound — an injury
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. cap — a hat
  7. craft — boats
  8. can — a tin
  9. wound — an injury
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. chair — a leader
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. game — a match
  14. can — to be able to
  15. cap — a lid
  16. craft — a skill
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. cap — of ice
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. stand — to bear
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. can — a tin
  24. game — wild animals

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