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: cabinet · clip · temple · spell · rest · fan · game · calf

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. rest — a break
  6. rest — what's left
  7. clip — to cut
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. spell — magic
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. clip — for paper
  16. clip — a video
  17. spell — letters
  18. spell — a short time
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. game — wild animals
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. rest — what's left

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