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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. season — in sport
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. bank — for money
  5. ground — crushed
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. can — to be able to
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. squash — the sport
  11. bank — for money
  12. mine — for digging
  13. bank — of a river
  14. fork — in a road
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. ground — a position
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. ground — the earth
  21. squash — to crush
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. can — a tin
  24. season — of the year

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