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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. wax — to grow
  3. can — a tin
  4. drill — army training
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. track — a song
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. track — to keep track
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. can — a tin
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. track — a path
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. degree — an amount
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. drill — a practice
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. drill — the tool
  21. degree — from a university
  22. degree — temperature
  23. sharp — clever
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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