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: season · stick · bowl · calf · bear · kid · content · sharp

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. season — in sport
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. content — happy
  8. bear — the animal
  9. content — the amount
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. kid — to tease
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. season — of the year
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. kid — child
  18. sharp — clever
  19. bear — the animal
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. sharp — with an edge

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