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. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. club — a group
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. last — finally
  6. club — for golf
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. sharp — clever
  11. last — to go on
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. saw — the tool
  17. last — final
  18. club — for dancing
  19. spell — magic
  20. saw — the tool
  21. plane — a tool
  22. spell — a short time
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. spell — letters

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