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 120 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. fall — the season
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. season — of the year
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. present — the time now
  7. sharp — clever
  8. bear — the animal
  9. mark — a trace
  10. fall — to drop
  11. mark — a grade
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. present — a gift
  15. present — there
  16. season — in sport
  17. fall — to drop
  18. bear — the animal

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