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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. pit — in a race
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. wound — an injury
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. season — in sport
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. content — the amount
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. pit — a hole
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. sharp — clever
  16. wound — an injury
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. march — the month
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. content — happy
  21. march — the month
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. march — music

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