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: wake · bank · calf · bowl · cap · clip · club · content

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. club — for golf
  3. clip — a video
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. club — a group
  6. cap — of ice
  7. bank — of a river
  8. content — happy
  9. wake — a trail
  10. club — for dancing
  11. cap — a lid
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. clip — to cut
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. content — the amount
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. cap — a hat
  20. clip — for paper
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. bank — for money
  24. bank — for money

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