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 120 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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. mate — a partner
  9. mate — a friend
  10. wound — an injury
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. bulb — for light
  13. foot — a measure
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. bulb — for light
  17. wound — an injury
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. season — of the year
  20. season — in sport
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. mate — to breed
  23. mine — for digging
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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