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 120 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: rash · dip · last · pound · calf · row · rush · march

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. rash — hasty
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. march — the month
  6. pound — a weight
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. march — music
  12. march — the month
  13. rush — hurry
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. dip — to sink
  16. last — finally
  17. last — final
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. last — to go on
  20. row — a line
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. rash — a series
  24. row — to paddle

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