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: calf · ball · wind · snap · game · hand · bulb · chip

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. wind — moving air
  6. game — a match
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. chip — for betting
  9. bulb — for light
  10. snap — to click
  11. game — wild animals
  12. ball — a great time
  13. hand — help
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. chip — to eat
  20. hand — in cards
  21. ball — a dance
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. bulb — for light
  24. wind — moving air

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