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: last · toast · calf · present · safe · season · bulb · wound

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. last — finally
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. season — in sport
  7. present — a gift
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. wound — an injury
  11. wound — an injury
  12. bulb — for light
  13. last — final
  14. toast — bread
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. season — of the year
  21. last — to go on
  22. present — the time now
  23. bulb — for light
  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