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. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. pit — a hole
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. file — a line of people
  7. drill — army training
  8. pit — in a race
  9. file — a document
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. last — final
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. drill — the tool
  16. last — finally
  17. drill — a practice
  18. last — to go on
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. plane — a tool
  24. file — a tool

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