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: plane · calf · lash · mate · charge · season · pitcher · wound

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. mate — to breed
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. charge — electricity
  5. mate — a friend
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. plane — a tool
  13. wound — an injury
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. charge — a price
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. season — of the year
  19. charge — in control
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. wound — an injury
  23. season — in sport
  24. plane — an aircraft

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