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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. perch — the fish
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. pass — a permit
  14. wind — moving air
  15. season — of the year
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. plane — a tool
  21. dip — to sink
  22. rule — a law
  23. rule — government
  24. wind — moving air

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