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: rash · toast · fork · staff · bound · calf · pop · squash

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. pop — to visit
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. bound — obliged
  6. squash — the sport
  7. bound — certain
  8. pop — music
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. rash — a series
  11. squash — to crush
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. rash — hasty
  16. staff — a stick
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. staff — employees
  19. fork — in a road
  20. toast — bread
  21. bound — tied together
  22. staff — employees
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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