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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. suit — in cards
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. mug — to rob
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. wound — an injury
  8. season — in sport
  9. mug — a face
  10. pop — to visit
  11. wound — an injury
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. mug — a cup
  14. toast — bread
  15. suit — clothes
  16. swing — music
  17. swing — to play on
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. pop — soda
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. swing — in golf
  23. pop — music
  24. suit — to fit

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