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: calf · club · ball · season · mouse · game · trunk · wound

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. club — for golf
  4. ball — a dance
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. game — wild animals
  10. season — of the year
  11. club — a group
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. wound — an injury
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. ball — a great time
  16. wound — an injury
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. club — for dancing
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. season — in sport
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. calf — a young animal

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