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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. bear — the animal
  3. present — there
  4. present — a gift
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. season — of the year
  9. season — in sport
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. bear — the animal
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. branch — a division
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. present — the time now
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. mine — for digging
  24. stand — to bear

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