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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. season — in sport
  4. season — of the year
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. suit — to fit
  7. game — a match
  8. sharp — clever
  9. board — a committee
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. file — a line of people
  13. board — to get on
  14. file — a document
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. game — wild animals
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. file — a tool
  20. suit — clothes
  21. prune — to trim
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. suit — in cards
  24. board — a flat piece

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