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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  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. firm — steady
  2. firm — decided
  3. season — in sport
  4. row — to paddle
  5. firm — a company
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. row — a line
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. pass — a permit
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. season — of the year
  23. season — to add flavour
  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