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

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. row — to paddle
  5. sharp — clever
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. date — the fruit
  8. row — a line
  9. toast — bread
  10. rush — hurry
  11. staff — employees
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. staff — employees
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. staff — a stick
  24. date — on the calendar

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