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 · mug · calf · row · bound · cap · ruler · land

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  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. calf — a young animal
  2. mug — to rob
  3. game — a match
  4. game — wild animals
  5. land — ground
  6. row — to paddle
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. mug — a cup
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. land — to come down
  13. cap — of ice
  14. land — a country
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. bound — certain
  17. cap — a lid
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. bound — obliged
  20. mug — a face
  21. bound — tied together
  22. row — a line
  23. cap — a hat
  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