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 · sharp · rock · wind · roll · foot · calf · snap

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. ball — a dance
  5. snap — to click
  6. foot — a measure
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. wind — moving air
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. roll — a cake
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. roll — a list
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. rock — music
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. ball — a great time
  21. rock — a stone
  22. wind — moving air
  23. sharp — clever
  24. foot — the bottom

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