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 · squash · track · rule · dip · staff · rush · last

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. track — to keep track
  3. rule — a law
  4. track — a path
  5. staff — employees
  6. staff — employees
  7. last — finally
  8. last — to go on
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. rush — hurry
  11. dip — to sink
  12. track — a song
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. squash — the sport
  15. squash — to crush
  16. staff — a stick
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. rule — government
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. rush — to hurry

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