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. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. rash — a series
  4. board — to get on
  5. net — in sport
  6. season — in sport
  7. net — for catching
  8. row — to paddle
  9. net — after costs
  10. rash — hasty
  11. foot — a measure
  12. present — the time now
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. row — a line
  15. drill — the tool
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. present — there
  19. drill — a practice
  20. drill — army training
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. board — a committee
  24. present — a gift

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