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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. toast — bread
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. wake — a trail
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. cell — in biology
  9. squash — the sport
  10. squash — to crush
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. pit — a hole
  15. pit — in a race
  16. bore — to drill
  17. cell — a phone
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. foot — a measure
  21. bore — to tire
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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