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: cell · calf · leaves · straw · shower · mouse · scale · land

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. land — to come down
  3. scale — in music
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. scale — size or range
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. land — a country
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. shower — to wash
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. cell — in biology
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. land — ground
  23. shower — rain
  24. cell — a phone

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