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: cold · ground · roll · board · pitcher · safe · jam · calf

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. board — to get on
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. roll — a cake
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. cold — an illness
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. board — a committee
  13. ground — a position
  14. ground — the earth
  15. roll — a list
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. ground — crushed
  20. cold — not warm
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. calf — a young animal

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