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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. bank — of a river
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. field — for sport
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. field — farmland
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. bank — for money
  12. season — in sport
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. field — a subject
  15. date — the fruit
  16. perch — the fish
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. bank — for money
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. temple — side of the head

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