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 · ball · club · wave · season · board · cold · leaves

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. board — a committee
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. ball — a great time
  8. club — a group
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. club — for golf
  11. season — of the year
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. cold — an illness
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. board — to get on
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. club — for dancing
  21. ball — a dance
  22. cold — not warm
  23. season — in sport
  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