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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. content — the amount
  3. craft — a skill
  4. row — a line
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. drill — army training
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. drill — the tool
  10. craft — boats
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. drill — a practice
  15. content — happy
  16. pound — a weight
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. game — wild animals
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. perch — the fish
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. game — a match

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