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 116 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: bound · suit · staff · shower · spell · bass · calf · season

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. spell — magic
  3. suit — in cards
  4. suit — to fit
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. bass — the fish
  7. staff — a stick
  8. spell — letters
  9. bound — tied together
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. season — in sport
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. bound — obliged
  14. suit — clothes
  15. staff — employees
  16. spell — a short time
  17. staff — employees
  18. shower — rain
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. shower — to wash
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. bound — certain
  23. bass — low music
  24. season — of the year

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