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

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. season — in sport
  3. cap — a hat
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. ground — the earth
  6. last — to go on
  7. cap — a lid
  8. last — final
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. dip — to sink
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. ground — crushed
  13. season — of the year
  14. rush — hurry
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. cap — of ice
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. last — finally
  20. ground — a position
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. rush — a thrill

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