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. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. roll — a cake
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. row — to paddle
  6. fine — all right
  7. row — a line
  8. rule — government
  9. rule — a law
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. bear — the animal
  12. root — of a word
  13. roll — a list
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. root — the cause
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. snap — to click
  20. bear — the animal
  21. root — of a plant
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. fine — high quality

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