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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. march — music
  3. season — of the year
  4. key — in music
  5. march — the month
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. season — in sport
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. land — a country
  12. march — the month
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. stem — to come from
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. row — to paddle
  18. key — the most important part
  19. row — a line
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. land — to come down
  23. dip — to sink
  24. land — ground

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