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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. bass — low music
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. mug — to rob
  7. rush — hurry
  8. bark — to shout
  9. mug — a cup
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. key — the most important part
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. bass — the fish
  15. last — finally
  16. mug — a face
  17. last — to go on
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. key — for a lock
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. key — in music
  22. last — final
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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