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. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. season — of the year
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. present — a gift
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. roll — a list
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. ground — a position
  9. kid — child
  10. net — after costs
  11. net — for catching
  12. present — there
  13. ground — crushed
  14. season — in sport
  15. roll — a cake
  16. ground — the earth
  17. wax — to grow
  18. net — in sport
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. foot — a measure
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. present — the time now
  24. kid — to tease

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