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: calf · swing · mine · date · wave · fan · root · rule

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. root — of a word
  5. root — of a plant
  6. rule — a law
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. swing — music
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. root — the cause
  12. mine — for digging
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. date — the fruit
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. swing — in golf
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. rule — government

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