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 120 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 · calf · rest · pit · sharp · track · rule · mug

  1. The water is too ________________.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — not warm
  2. rule — a law
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. rule — government
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. sharp — clever
  7. track — a song
  8. rest — what's left
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. track — a path
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. track — to keep track
  15. cold — an illness
  16. rest — what's left
  17. mug — to rob
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. mug — a face
  20. pit — in a race
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. pit — a hole
  23. mug — a cup
  24. rest — a break

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