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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  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 — to breed
  2. season — in sport
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. game — wild animals
  7. hand — help
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. toast — bread
  14. mate — a partner
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. season — of the year
  19. hand — in cards
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. game — a match
  22. mate — a friend
  23. cabinet — ministers
  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