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: chair · toast · safe · calf · spell · file · squash · wake

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. squash — to crush
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. spell — magic
  9. wake — a trail
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. spell — letters
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. toast — bread
  15. file — a tool
  16. squash — the sport
  17. file — a document
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. file — a line of people
  22. spell — a short time
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. chair — a leader

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