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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. season — of the year
  6. last — final
  7. craft — a skill
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. pitch — completely
  14. season — in sport
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. craft — boats
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. last — finally
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. patient — a sick person

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