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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. mug — to rob
  4. drill — a practice
  5. mug — a face
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. cue — for pool
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. cue — a hint
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. file — a line of people
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. file — a tool
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. mug — a cup
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. drill — the tool
  20. cue — a signal
  21. file — a document
  22. fork — in a road
  23. safe — out of danger
  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