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: row · kid · content · fork · plane · leaves · calf · pit

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. content — the amount
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. content — happy
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. row — to paddle
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. kid — child
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. fork — in a road
  13. row — a line
  14. pit — a hole
  15. pit — in a race
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. kid — to tease
  19. plane — a tool
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. plane — an aircraft

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