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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. cap — a hat
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. cue — for pool
  6. track — a path
  7. last — final
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. bear — the animal
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. cue — a signal
  15. cap — a lid
  16. bark — to shout
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. cap — of ice
  19. track — a song
  20. track — to keep track
  21. bear — the animal
  22. last — finally
  23. last — to go on
  24. cue — a hint

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