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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. season — in sport
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. season — of the year
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. spring — the season
  7. bass — the fish
  8. last — finally
  9. bass — low music
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. net — after costs
  12. bear — the animal
  13. spring — a coil
  14. press — to push
  15. spring — of water
  16. press — newspapers
  17. press — a publisher
  18. last — final
  19. last — to go on
  20. roll — a cake
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. roll — a list
  23. net — in sport
  24. net — for catching

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