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

Word bank: game · wake · coach · last · calf · season · pitch · lean

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. last — finally
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. game — a match
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. game — wild animals
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. pitch — completely
  10. season — of the year
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. lean — thin
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. last — to go on
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. last — final
  20. lean — to bend
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. season — in sport
  24. wake — a trail

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