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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. season — in sport
  3. last — final
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. bank — of a river
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. cell — in biology
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. cell — a phone
  11. season — of the year
  12. lie — to recline
  13. pit — in a race
  14. bank — for money
  15. bank — for money
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. last — to go on
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. last — finally
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. pit — a hole
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. calf — of the leg

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