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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. season — in sport
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. face — part of the head
  6. pound — a weight
  7. present — there
  8. mate — a partner
  9. mate — a friend
  10. court — of law
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. mate — to breed
  14. face — to confront
  15. court — for sport
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. season — of the year
  18. court — of a king
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. mine — for digging
  23. present — a gift
  24. face — to point toward

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