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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. season — in sport
  3. saw — the tool
  4. saw — the tool
  5. march — music
  6. march — the month
  7. firm — decided
  8. firm — a company
  9. pit — a hole
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. firm — steady
  12. march — the month
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. object — a thing
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. season — of the year
  18. object — to protest
  19. pit — in a race
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. object — an aim
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. season — to add flavour

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