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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. saw — the tool
  5. mine — for digging
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. mug — a face
  8. mug — a cup
  9. object — to protest
  10. pound — a weight
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. saw — the tool
  13. object — an aim
  14. sharp — clever
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. object — a thing
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. pit — a hole
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. pit — in a race
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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