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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. scale — in music
  3. mate — a friend
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. spell — a short time
  8. mate — a partner
  9. bore — to tire
  10. firm — steady
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. scale — size or range
  13. firm — a company
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. spell — letters
  16. bore — to drill
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. bark — to shout
  20. mate — to breed
  21. firm — decided
  22. sharp — clever
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. calf — a young animal

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