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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. pass — a permit
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. rest — a break
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. mate — a partner
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. cold — an illness
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. rest — what's left
  16. wound — an injury
  17. mate — a friend
  18. season — in sport
  19. wound — an injury
  20. season — of the year
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. mate — to breed
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. cold — not warm

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