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: ball · suit · content · face · calf · last · kid · rash

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. face — to point toward
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. last — finally
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. last — final
  9. content — happy
  10. kid — child
  11. face — to confront
  12. kid — to tease
  13. ball — a dance
  14. ball — a great time
  15. face — part of the head
  16. rash — hasty
  17. last — to go on
  18. suit — in cards
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. suit — to fit
  21. content — the amount
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. suit — clothes
  24. rash — a series

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