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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. season — in sport
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. wind — moving air
  5. swing — in golf
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. swing — to play on
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. wind — moving air
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. sharp — clever
  18. swing — music

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