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: rush · row · tube · calf · chair · kid · key · drill

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. drill — a practice
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. chair — a leader
  5. key — in music
  6. tube — a container
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. key — the most important part
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. key — for a lock
  13. kid — child
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. tube — the underground
  16. row — to paddle
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. kid — to tease
  19. row — a line
  20. rush — hurry
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. drill — the tool
  23. drill — army training
  24. row — a quarrel

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