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: fan · calf · bore · bound · snap · game · scale · jam

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. bound — certain
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. scale — size or range
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. bound — obliged
  13. bore — to tire
  14. scale — in music
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. bound — tied together
  17. game — wild animals
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. snap — to click
  20. bore — to drill
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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