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 get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. mug — a face
  4. fine — high quality
  5. fine — all right
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. season — of the year
  9. mug — to rob
  10. present — there
  11. track — a path
  12. stem — to come from
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. mug — a cup
  15. mine — for digging
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. season — in sport
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. track — to keep track
  20. track — a song
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. present — the time now
  24. mine — belonging to me

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