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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. season — of the year
  3. tear — from crying
  4. race — a contest
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. bass — low music
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. race — humankind
  10. fork — in a road
  11. staff — a stick
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. staff — employees
  14. deal — to handle
  15. scale — size or range
  16. scale — in music
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. tear — from crying
  19. bass — the fish
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. race — the arms race
  22. tear — to rip
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. staff — employees

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