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 116 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 soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. bear — the animal
  3. cold — an illness
  4. charge — a price
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. charge — electricity
  8. sharp — clever
  9. drill — a practice
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. charge — in control
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. cold — not warm
  15. drill — the tool
  16. bear — the animal
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. wax — to grow
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. wax — for sculpting

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