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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: season · mark · calf · field · straw · spring · pass · mug

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. spring — the season
  3. season — in sport
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. field — for sport
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. pass — a permit
  9. mug — to rob
  10. mug — a cup
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. season — of the year
  14. mark — a trace
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. spring — of water
  18. spring — a coil
  19. mark — a grade
  20. field — a subject
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. field — farmland
  24. season — to add flavour

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