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: sharp · snap · bulb · row · mouse · calf · leaves · bass

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. bulb — for light
  4. snap — to click
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. bass — the fish
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. sharp — clever
  12. bulb — for light
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. row — a line
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. bass — low music
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. row — to paddle
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. calf — a young animal

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