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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. season — of the year
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. mate — to breed
  10. net — in sport
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. ground — crushed
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. net — for catching
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. season — in sport
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. mate — a friend
  20. mate — a partner
  21. ground — the earth
  22. ground — a position
  23. net — after costs
  24. hand — in cards

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