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 giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. row — a line
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. fork — in a road
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. lie — to recline
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. plane — a tool
  11. content — the amount
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. squash — the sport
  16. squash — to crush
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. content — happy
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. row — to paddle
  24. date — the fruit

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