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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. rush — hurry
  4. spell — magic
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. stem — to come from
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. fork — in a road
  10. spell — a short time
  11. fine — all right
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. key — for a lock
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. key — the most important part
  16. season — in sport
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. fine — high quality
  22. key — in music
  23. spell — letters
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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