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: bass · saw · pop · kid · calf · wake · mark · spell

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. saw — the tool
  4. spell — magic
  5. spell — a short time
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. pop — music
  12. pop — to visit
  13. spell — letters
  14. kid — to tease
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. mark — a grade
  17. wake — a trail
  18. pop — soda
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. mark — a trace
  21. bass — the fish
  22. bass — low music
  23. kid — child
  24. wake — before a funeral

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