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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. season — of the year
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. spell — magic
  6. ball — a great time
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. season — in sport
  9. spell — letters
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. board — to get on
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. ball — a dance
  14. board — a committee
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. band — a ring
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. wax — to grow
  19. band — a music group
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. spell — a short time
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. board — a flat piece

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