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 ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. date — the fruit
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. net — for catching
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. tear — to rip
  10. tear — from crying
  11. capital — money
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. capital — a city
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. vault — a safe
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. net — after costs
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. tear — from crying
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. sharp — clever
  24. date — on the calendar

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