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 · game · calf · mine · rash · bound · stick · board

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. season — in sport
  8. game — a match
  9. board — a committee
  10. board — to get on
  11. bound — certain
  12. rash — a series
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. season — of the year
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. bound — tied together
  17. bound — obliged
  18. mine — for digging
  19. rash — hasty
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. game — wild animals
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. mine — an explosive

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