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 120 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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. bulb — for light
  7. lean — to bend
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. content — the amount
  10. wind — moving air
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. bulb — for light
  13. shower — rain
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. wind — moving air
  16. content — happy
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. shower — to wash
  22. season — of the year
  23. lean — thin
  24. calf — a young animal

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