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 116 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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. shower — to wash
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. kick — in football
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. bore — to tire
  7. shower — rain
  8. present — the time now
  9. last — finally
  10. last — to go on
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. fork — in a road
  13. bore — to drill
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. track — a song
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. present — a gift
  19. track — to keep track
  20. track — a path
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. last — final
  24. kick — a thrill

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