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: sharp · ground · calf · ball · kid · coach · dip · hide

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. ball — a dance
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. dip — to sink
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. ground — crushed
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. kid — child
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. ground — a position
  18. sharp — clever
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. ball — a great time
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. kid — to tease
  24. ground — the earth

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