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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. season — in sport
  3. wound — an injury
  4. season — of the year
  5. game — wild animals
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. lean — thin
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. cap — a hat
  12. kid — to tease
  13. cap — a lid
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. lean — to bend
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. cap — of ice
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. kid — child
  23. vault — a safe
  24. game — a match

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