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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. season — of the year
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. lie — to recline
  6. pit — a hole
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. mate — a partner
  11. mate — a friend
  12. stem — to come from
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. staff — a stick
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. season — in sport
  19. staff — employees
  20. pit — in a race
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. staff — employees

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