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. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. bark — to shout
  5. date — the fruit
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. dip — to sink
  8. chest — a box
  9. squash — the sport
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. foot — a measure
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. chest — of your body
  16. squash — to crush
  17. chest — of your body
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. pit — in a race
  23. pit — a hole
  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