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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. season — of the year
  4. bass — low music
  5. key — for a lock
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. rock — a stone
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. key — the most important part
  13. bass — the fish
  14. kid — to tease
  15. season — in sport
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. bulb — for light
  20. key — in music
  21. bulb — for light
  22. rock — music
  23. kid — child
  24. hide — animal skin

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