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: fall · game · scale · hand · stand · calf · bowl · rush

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. fall — to drop
  3. fall — to drop
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. rush — hurry
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. game — a match
  11. game — wild animals
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. stand — to bear
  14. hand — in cards
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. hand — help
  17. fall — the season
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. scale — in music
  21. scale — size or range
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. bowl — a dish

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