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: stick · kid · calf · track · last · pit · ground · season

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. last — final
  5. ground — the earth
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. ground — a position
  9. kid — to tease
  10. pit — a hole
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. ground — crushed
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. last — to go on
  17. track — a song
  18. track — to keep track
  19. track — a path
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. season — of the year
  22. kid — child
  23. season — in sport
  24. pit — in a race

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