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 116 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 keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. capital — money
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. row — to paddle
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. track — a path
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. dip — to sink
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. capital — a city
  17. track — a song
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. fall — to drop
  20. row — a line
  21. fall — to drop
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. fall — the season

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