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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. season — in sport
  3. drill — army training
  4. season — of the year
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. degree — an amount
  8. drill — the tool
  9. drill — a practice
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. degree — from a university
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. spring — the season
  14. spring — a coil
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. roll — a cake
  18. roll — a list
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. spring — of water
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. degree — temperature
  24. leaves — to go away

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