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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. season — in sport
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. ball — a great time
  6. snap — to click
  7. object — an aim
  8. rush — hurry
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. season — of the year
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. object — a thing
  17. ball — a dance
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. object — to protest
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. ball — a round shape

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