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: cold · wind · season · plane · foot · calf · row · charge

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. cold — an illness
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. wind — moving air
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. plane — a tool
  8. charge — a price
  9. cold — not warm
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. charge — electricity
  12. season — of the year
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. wind — moving air
  16. foot — a measure
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. row — a line
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. row — to paddle
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. season — in sport
  23. row — a quarrel
  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