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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. ground — a position
  3. bulb — for light
  4. present — the time now
  5. stock — shares
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. sharp — clever
  8. ground — crushed
  9. bulb — for light
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. present — there
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. bat — the animal
  14. season — in sport
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. board — a committee
  20. board — to get on
  21. present — a gift
  22. ground — the earth
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. stock — goods

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