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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. ball — a great time
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. cap — a hat
  7. mate — to breed
  8. last — to go on
  9. board — a committee
  10. last — finally
  11. cap — of ice
  12. mate — a partner
  13. bore — to drill
  14. bore — to tire
  15. board — to get on
  16. season — of the year
  17. season — in sport
  18. ball — a dance
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. cap — a lid
  21. mate — a friend
  22. last — final
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. bowl — to roll

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