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. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. suit — to fit
  6. face — part of the head
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. season — in sport
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. land — to come down
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. court — for sport
  13. suit — clothes
  14. land — a country
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. court — of a king
  17. face — to confront
  18. suit — in cards
  19. face — to point toward
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. land — ground
  22. date — the fruit
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. court — of law

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