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: foot · calf · scale · mate · tube · row · fork · snap

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. fork — in a road
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. foot — a measure
  9. tube — the underground
  10. snap — to click
  11. mate — a partner
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. scale — in music
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. row — a line
  20. mate — a friend
  21. mate — to breed
  22. tube — a container
  23. row — to paddle
  24. calf — of the leg

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