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: firm · saw · bore · arm · calf · track · rush · march

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. bore — to tire
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. track — a path
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. bore — to drill
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. saw — the tool
  12. march — the month
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. track — to keep track
  16. saw — the tool
  17. firm — a company
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. march — music
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. track — a song
  22. firm — decided
  23. march — the month
  24. firm — steady

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