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: chair · wound · safe · perch · calf · patient · bat · cue

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. wound — an injury
  3. perch — the fish
  4. cue — for pool
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. bat — the animal
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. cue — a signal
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. chair — a leader
  20. wound — an injury
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. cue — a hint
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. bat — in an idiom

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