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: chip · kid · shower · pitcher · calf · toast · sharp · safe

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. toast — bread
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. chip — to eat
  8. chip — for betting
  9. kid — to tease
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. shower — rain
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. shower — to wash
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. kid — child
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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