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 · firm · cold · tear · tube · fork · current · pound

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. tear — from crying
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. tear — from crying
  5. current — of water
  6. tube — the underground
  7. tear — to rip
  8. current — electric
  9. firm — steady
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. tube — a container
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. firm — decided
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. fork — in a road
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. cold — not warm
  19. pound — a weight
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. cold — an illness
  23. firm — a company
  24. tube — in a tire

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