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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. tear — from crying
  3. tear — from crying
  4. season — of the year
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. scale — in music
  8. rush — hurry
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. tear — to rip
  11. stock — shares
  12. scale — size or range
  13. pit — in a race
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. stock — goods
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. pit — a hole
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. leaves — to go away

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