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 office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. track — a song
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. snap — to click
  8. row — to paddle
  9. track — to keep track
  10. firm — a company
  11. firm — steady
  12. chip — for betting
  13. wake — a trail
  14. row — a line
  15. staff — employees
  16. firm — decided
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. chip — to eat
  19. staff — a stick
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. track — a path
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. calf — of the leg

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