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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. snap — to click
  4. stand — to bear
  5. ground — the earth
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. toast — bread
  8. court — for sport
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. court — of a king
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. ground — crushed
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. court — of law
  17. sharp — clever
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. cell — a phone
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. ground — a position
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. cell — in biology
  24. season — of the year

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