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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. bear — the animal
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. saw — the tool
  6. wound — an injury
  7. track — a path
  8. track — a song
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. saw — the tool
  11. season — of the year
  12. bear — the animal
  13. bound — tied together
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. mug — a cup
  16. bound — obliged
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. mug — a face
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. bound — certain
  21. mug — to rob
  22. wound — an injury
  23. track — to keep track
  24. calf — a young animal

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