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: calf · rule · drill · sharp · content · ball · patient · prune

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. rule — a law
  3. ball — a great time
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. drill — the tool
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. rule — government
  12. ball — a dance
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. sharp — clever
  17. drill — army training
  18. prune — to trim
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. prune — to trim
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. content — happy
  24. drill — a practice

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