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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. band — a music group
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. suit — to fit
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. spell — magic
  8. field — a subject
  9. mate — a partner
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. spell — letters
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. shower — to wash
  14. band — a ring
  15. suit — clothes
  16. shower — rain
  17. field — farmland
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. chair — a leader
  20. mate — a friend
  21. mate — to breed
  22. spell — a short time
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. field — for sport

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