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: rock · wound · calf · bound · season · spell · roll · wake

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. bound — certain
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. bound — obliged
  7. roll — a cake
  8. season — in sport
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. roll — a list
  11. rock — music
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. spell — letters
  14. wake — a trail
  15. spell — magic
  16. wound — an injury
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. rock — a stone
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. bound — tied together
  21. wound — an injury
  22. season — of the year
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. spell — a short time

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