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: cue · season · calf · arm · fan · drill · fine · last

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. last — finally
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. cue — for pool
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. last — to go on
  7. last — final
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. cue — a hint
  10. fine — high quality
  11. drill — the tool
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. season — in sport
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. fine — all right
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. drill — army training
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. season — of the year
  24. cue — a signal

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