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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. shower — to wash
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. sharp — clever
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. degree — an amount
  11. shower — rain
  12. season — in sport
  13. track — to keep track
  14. degree — temperature
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. track — a song
  19. degree — from a university
  20. track — a path
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. hand — in cards
  24. hand — help

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