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 120 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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. pop — to visit
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. wake — a trail
  5. can — a tin
  6. shower — rain
  7. track — to keep track
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. rush — hurry
  10. shower — to wash
  11. can — a tin
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. track — a song
  14. track — a path
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. sharp — clever
  18. can — to be able to
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. pop — music
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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