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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. last — final
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. fine — high quality
  7. net — after costs
  8. perch — the fish
  9. bear — the animal
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. firm — decided
  14. last — finally
  15. net — for catching
  16. firm — steady
  17. last — to go on
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. present — the time now
  20. present — a gift
  21. present — there
  22. net — in sport
  23. bear — the animal
  24. firm — a company

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