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: club · calf · chair · spring · lean · mouse · mate · saw

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. mate — to breed
  3. mate — a friend
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. lean — to bend
  7. club — for golf
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. spring — of water
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. saw — the tool
  12. mate — a partner
  13. lean — thin
  14. spring — a coil
  15. club — for dancing
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. spring — the season
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. chair — a leader
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. club — a group
  24. saw — the tool

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