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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. pit — in a race
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. bound — obliged
  5. can — to be able to
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. can — a tin
  10. pit — a hole
  11. bound — tied together
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. last — finally
  16. mine — for digging
  17. last — to go on
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. bound — certain
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. can — a tin
  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