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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. net — in sport
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. march — the month
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. bat — the animal
  8. board — a committee
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. net — after costs
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. lean — to bend
  13. board — to get on
  14. season — in sport
  15. lean — thin
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. march — music
  18. club — for dancing
  19. season — of the year
  20. net — for catching
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. march — the month
  23. club — for golf
  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