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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. land — a country
  3. bear — the animal
  4. mate — to breed
  5. mate — a partner
  6. season — in sport
  7. bear — the animal
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. dip — to sink
  14. season — of the year
  15. mate — a friend
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. land — to come down
  19. vault — a safe
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. row — to paddle
  22. row — a line
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. bear — to put up with

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