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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. season — of the year
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. shower — to wash
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. ground — the earth
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. kid — to tease
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. kid — child
  11. charge — a price
  12. charge — electricity
  13. shower — rain
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. ground — crushed
  16. object — a thing
  17. object — to protest
  18. charge — in control
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. season — in sport
  23. rush — hurry
  24. ground — a position

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