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: coach · rock · calf · rush · content · jam · wax · game

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. rock — music
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. content — the amount
  11. rush — hurry
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. wax — to grow
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. game — wild animals
  17. rock — a stone
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. content — happy
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  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