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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. season — of the year
  3. cap — a hat
  4. mate — a partner
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. cue — for pool
  7. cue — a signal
  8. cue — a hint
  9. fork — in a road
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. mate — a friend
  13. chest — of your body
  14. pit — a hole
  15. cap — of ice
  16. pit — in a race
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. chest — of your body
  20. cap — a lid
  21. mate — to breed
  22. chest — a box
  23. bear — the animal
  24. season — in sport

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