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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  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. mate — a friend
  2. mate — to breed
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. wax — to grow
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. season — of the year
  8. season — in sport
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. craft — a skill
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. mate — a partner
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. craft — boats
  23. racket — a loud noise
  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