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: coach · season · plane · sharp · perch · calf · bound · roll

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. perch — the fish
  4. bound — tied together
  5. plane — a tool
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. bound — obliged
  8. season — in sport
  9. roll — a cake
  10. bound — certain
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. sharp — clever
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. season — of the year
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. roll — a list
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. plane — an aircraft
  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