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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. saw — the tool
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. wound — an injury
  5. club — for golf
  6. saw — the tool
  7. hand — help
  8. cue — a hint
  9. season — in sport
  10. pop — soda
  11. cue — a signal
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. club — for dancing
  15. wound — an injury
  16. present — a gift
  17. cue — for pool
  18. hand — in cards
  19. present — there
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. pop — to visit
  22. pop — music
  23. club — a group
  24. present — the time now

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