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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. bulb — for light
  5. net — for catching
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. season — of the year
  8. degree — temperature
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. degree — from a university
  12. bulb — for light
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. season — in sport
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. degree — an amount
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. net — after costs
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. net — in sport

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