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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. game — a match
  7. board — a committee
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. deal — to handle
  10. drill — army training
  11. dip — to sink
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. drill — the tool
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. board — to get on
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. drill — a practice
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. calf — a young animal

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