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 protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. track — a song
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. pit — in a race
  5. drill — army training
  6. bear — the animal
  7. pit — a hole
  8. cold — an illness
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. track — to keep track
  11. bear — the animal
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. swing — to play on
  17. swing — in golf
  18. drill — a practice
  19. drill — the tool
  20. track — a path
  21. swing — music
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. cold — not warm

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