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: game · last · cell · pop · arm · hide · plane · calf

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. pop — to visit
  3. cell — in biology
  4. pop — soda
  5. plane — a tool
  6. game — wild animals
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. pop — music
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. game — a match
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. last — finally
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. last — to go on
  17. last — final
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. cell — a phone
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. calf — of the leg

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