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 train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. squash — to crush
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. snap — to click
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. row — to paddle
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. kid — to tease
  13. squash — the sport
  14. drill — army training
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. drill — a practice
  17. drill — the tool
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. row — a line
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. kid — child
  22. stand — to bear
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. stand — for spectators

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