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 120 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: fan · temple · season · spell · tear · squash · kid · calf

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. spell — magic
  3. tear — from crying
  4. tear — to rip
  5. spell — letters
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. kid — to tease
  8. spell — a short time
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. kid — child
  16. squash — the sport
  17. season — of the year
  18. season — in sport
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. squash — to crush
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. tear — from crying

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