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: rock · squash · file · calf · pitcher · row · board · prune

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  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. squash — the sport
  2. prune — to trim
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. prune — to trim
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. row — a line
  7. squash — to crush
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. rock — a stone
  11. board — to get on
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. file — a document
  14. rock — music
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. file — a tool
  18. file — a line of people
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. board — a committee
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. rock — to move gently
  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