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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. spring — a coil
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. wake — a trail
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. spring — the season
  13. spring — of water
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. rash — hasty
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. foot — a measure
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. rash — a series
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. sharp — clever
  24. foot — the bottom

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