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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. season — in sport
  3. wound — an injury
  4. firm — a company
  5. rock — music
  6. bore — to tire
  7. bore — to drill
  8. pop — music
  9. sharp — clever
  10. ball — a dance
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. pop — soda
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. firm — decided
  16. wound — an injury
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. rock — a stone
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. firm — steady
  22. pop — to visit
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. ball — a great time

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