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 ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. firm — decided
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. kick — in football
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. cold — not warm
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. sharp — clever
  15. firm — steady
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. firm — a company
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. dip — to sink
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. cold — an illness
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. cold — the Cold War

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