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 116 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. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. perch — the fish
  4. net — for catching
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. season — in sport
  7. cap — a lid
  8. net — in sport
  9. net — after costs
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. wax — to grow
  12. cap — of ice
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. mug — a face
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. cap — a hat
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. mug — to rob
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. mug — a cup
  23. season — of the year
  24. nail — for a hammer

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