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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. sharp — clever
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. dip — to sink
  8. pound — a weight
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. wake — a trail
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. squash — the sport
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. drill — army training
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. squash — to crush
  21. drill — the tool
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. squash — the vegetable

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