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 120 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 ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. current — happening now
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. last — final
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. band — a music group
  10. fork — in a road
  11. last — finally
  12. mark — a grade
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. current — electric
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. band — a ring
  18. last — to go on
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. bat — the animal
  22. current — of water
  23. mark — a trace
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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