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: season · rest · patient · date · wake · calf · ball · track

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. date — the fruit
  5. season — of the year
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. track — to keep track
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. ball — a great time
  10. wake — a trail
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. ball — a dance
  15. track — a path
  16. rest — what's left
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. rest — what's left
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. season — in sport
  24. rest — a break

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