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: fine · foot · calf · mug · clip · wake · race · coach

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. fine — all right
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. race — the arms race
  8. mug — a face
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. clip — to cut
  11. wake — a trail
  12. foot — a measure
  13. race — a contest
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. mug — a cup
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. mug — to rob
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. fine — high quality
  22. clip — a video
  23. clip — for paper
  24. race — humankind

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