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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. stem — to come from
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. ground — the earth
  6. ground — crushed
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. bass — the fish
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. lean — thin
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. lean — to bend
  16. snap — to click
  17. pass — a permit
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. ground — a position
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. bass — low music
  24. season — of the year

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