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. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. season — of the year
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. press — to push
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. net — for catching
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. vault — a safe
  12. press — a publisher
  13. bark — to shout
  14. press — newspapers
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. net — in sport
  17. roll — a cake
  18. season — in sport
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. roll — a list
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. net — after costs

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