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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. firm — decided
  3. season — in sport
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. sharp — clever
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. wound — an injury
  9. court — of law
  10. firm — steady
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. court — of a king
  13. wound — an injury
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. ground — the earth
  17. court — for sport
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. firm — a company
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. ground — a position
  23. ground — crushed
  24. season — of the year

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