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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: calf · pit · cold · mate · ruler · rest

  1. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. 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. cold — the Cold War
  2. rest — what's left
  3. rest — what's left
  4. mate — to breed
  5. cold — not warm
  6. pit — a hole
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. mate — a partner
  9. rest — a break
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. pit — in a race
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. cold — an illness
  15. mate — a friend
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. 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