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 120 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. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. capital — a city
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. fall — the season
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. club — a group
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. capital — money
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. snap — to click
  12. fall — to drop
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. rush — hurry
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. bulb — for light
  17. club — for dancing
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. season — in sport
  20. fall — to drop
  21. club — for golf
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. bulb — for light
  24. bowl — a football final

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