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. David sat on the ________________.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. swing — to play on
  3. swing — music
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. court — of a king
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. season — in sport
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. foot — a measure
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. swing — in golf
  16. pass — a permit
  17. court — for sport
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. court — of law
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. coach — a trainer

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