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: row · cap · season · land · nail · pound · calf · net

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. land — ground
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. land — a country
  6. net — in sport
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. row — a line
  10. cap — a hat
  11. season — in sport
  12. season — of the year
  13. net — after costs
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. row — to paddle
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. pound — a weight
  19. cap — of ice
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. cap — a lid
  23. net — for catching
  24. land — to come down

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