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: race · perch · dip · cabinet · game · roll · clip · calf

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. roll — a list
  4. clip — a video
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. roll — a cake
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. perch — the fish
  11. dip — to sink
  12. race — the arms race
  13. race — a contest
  14. game — wild animals
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. clip — to cut
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. race — humankind
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. clip — for paper
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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