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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. wound — an injury
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. season — of the year
  7. current — happening now
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. capital — money
  12. game — a match
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. current — of water
  15. wound — an injury
  16. capital — a city
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. game — wild animals
  19. season — in sport
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. current — electric
  22. pass — a permit
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. nail — for a hammer

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