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: stand · mark · file · tear · calf · scale · pit · bat

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. tear — from crying
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. pit — in a race
  6. mark — a trace
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. stand — to bear
  9. bat — the animal
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. file — a document
  13. scale — in music
  14. tear — to rip
  15. pit — a hole
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. mark — a grade
  18. tear — from crying
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. file — a line of people
  22. file — a tool
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. scale — size or range

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