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: mark · deal · charge · straw · calf · season · mine · bowl

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. season — in sport
  3. charge — in control
  4. deal — to handle
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. charge — electricity
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. charge — a price
  17. season — of the year
  18. mark — a trace
  19. mine — for digging
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. mark — a grade
  24. straw — a straw man

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