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: roll · calf · craft · spell · last · safe · hide · drill

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. spell — letters
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. craft — a skill
  5. roll — a list
  6. drill — the tool
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. spell — a short time
  9. drill — a practice
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. spell — magic
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. drill — army training
  16. last — final
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. craft — boats
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. last — finally
  24. roll — a cake

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