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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. season — in sport
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. season — of the year
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. mine — for digging
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. snap — to click
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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