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 to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. row — a line
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. mark — a grade
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. mark — a trace
  10. clip — a video
  11. clip — for paper
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. last — final
  14. last — to go on
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. foot — a measure
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. clip — to cut
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. last — finally

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