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 works in a ________________ mill.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. kick — in football
  4. last — to go on
  5. mine — for digging
  6. spell — letters
  7. squash — to crush
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. saw — the tool
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. last — final
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. spell — magic
  21. last — finally
  22. spell — a short time
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. squash — the sport

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