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 · ground · stem · cabinet · mine · fan · season · rush

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. ground — a position
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. season — in sport
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. ground — crushed
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. season — of the year
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. mine — for digging
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. rush — hurry
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. stem — to come from
  24. calf — of the leg

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