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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. suit — clothes
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. prune — to trim
  6. prune — to trim
  7. season — of the year
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. last — finally
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. scale — size or range
  13. last — to go on
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. scale — in music
  16. pitch — completely
  17. suit — to fit
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. mine — for digging
  21. season — in sport
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. last — final

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