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 116 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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. rule — government
  4. face — to confront
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. rash — hasty
  7. wound — an injury
  8. wound — an injury
  9. bore — to drill
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. face — part of the head
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. bore — to tire
  17. rule — a law
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. season — in sport
  20. face — to point toward
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. rash — a series
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. rash — on the skin

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