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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. suit — clothes
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. land — a country
  9. land — ground
  10. roll — a cake
  11. season — of the year
  12. fine — all right
  13. suit — in cards
  14. land — to come down
  15. roll — a list
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. season — in sport
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. suit — to fit
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. fine — high quality
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. row — to paddle

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