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 120 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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. row — to paddle
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. perch — the fish
  6. shower — to wash
  7. season — of the year
  8. present — a gift
  9. spring — the season
  10. present — there
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. present — the time now
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. rest — what's left
  15. rest — what's left
  16. shower — rain
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. spring — a coil
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. spring — of water
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. row — a line
  24. rest — a break

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