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: wound · mark · bay · land · roll · bulb · calf · jam

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. roll — a list
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. mark — a grade
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. wound — an injury
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. bulb — for light
  11. roll — a cake
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. mark — a trace
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. land — a country
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. wound — an injury
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. bulb — for light
  21. land — ground
  22. land — to come down
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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