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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. last — to go on
  4. bank — of a river
  5. spring — of water
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. season — of the year
  8. bank — for money
  9. bank — for money
  10. charge — a price
  11. spring — a coil
  12. spring — the season
  13. pitch — completely
  14. game — wild animals
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. season — in sport
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. charge — in control
  19. last — finally
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. charge — electricity
  22. last — final
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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