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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bulb — for light
  8. shower — to wash
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. file — a line of people
  11. cue — a hint
  12. squash — the sport
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. mine — for digging
  17. pit — in a race
  18. cue — a signal
  19. cue — for pool
  20. squash — to crush
  21. file — a document
  22. shower — rain
  23. pit — a hole
  24. mine — an explosive

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