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 giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. row — to paddle
  3. squash — to crush
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. last — final
  9. bear — the animal
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. bear — the animal
  12. sharp — clever
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. squash — the sport
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. last — to go on
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. row — a line
  20. dip — to sink
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. last — finally
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. dip — to dunk

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