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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. present — a gift
  3. season — of the year
  4. object — an aim
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. present — the time now
  9. mate — a partner
  10. season — in sport
  11. object — a thing
  12. present — there
  13. bear — the animal
  14. scale — in music
  15. foot — a measure
  16. bear — the animal
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. stand — to bear
  21. mate — to breed
  22. scale — size or range
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. mate — a friend

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