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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. face — part of the head
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. fork — in a road
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. rule — government
  12. pitch — completely
  13. squash — to crush
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. face — to point toward
  16. face — to confront
  17. squash — the sport
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. season — in sport
  22. rule — a law
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. season — to add flavour

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