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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. ball — a great time
  3. bear — the animal
  4. mug — a face
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. season — of the year
  8. present — a gift
  9. shower — to wash
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. present — the time now
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. season — in sport
  15. ball — a dance
  16. mug — a cup
  17. bear — the animal
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. shower — rain
  22. mug — to rob
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. coach — a trainer

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