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: bulb · saw · season · kid · calf · foot · club · fall

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. club — for golf
  4. season — of the year
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. club — a group
  7. foot — a measure
  8. fall — to drop
  9. saw — the tool
  10. fall — to drop
  11. club — for dancing
  12. bulb — for light
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. kid — child
  15. season — in sport
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. fall — the season
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. saw — the tool
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. kid — to tease
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. bulb — for light

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