The 82-year-old was threatened by two masked men who came to the door of his home in Gillies Lane, Baillieston, at 22:15 on Thursday.
The attackers pushed the pensioner and demanded money, before searching the house and leaving empty-handed.
Both men were wearing balaclavas and dressed all in black. Police have appealed for information.
The men, one of whom is thought to have been wearing a black "puffa" or bomber jacket, made off in the direction of Bredisholm Road.
Det Sgt Raymond Hunter, from the community investigations unit in Pollok, said the incident was "very frightening" for the victim.
He said: "We have been checking CCTV and speaking to neighbours but need to hear from people who may have been in the area at the time. There is a pub at the top of the lane on Bredisholm Road, so we would appeal to patrons from there to get in touch if they saw or heard anything.
"At this time we still have to establish why the man was targeted. The suspects seemed to think he had a significant amount of cash in his home, which was not the case, hence the reason they left empty-handed.
"Whether this was mistaken identity or a rumour, we do not know, but in any case to subject an elderly man in his home to this, is not just wrong, it was cowardly."
An elderly man has been assaulted in his Glasgow home during an attempted robbery.