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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. season — of the year
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. rule — government
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. branch — a division
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. rule — a law
  9. board — to get on
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. bass — low music
  13. fine — all right
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. bass — the fish
  19. fine — high quality
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. board — a committee
  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