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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. rest — a break
  4. court — for sport
  5. rush — hurry
  6. season — of the year
  7. lean — to bend
  8. court — of a king
  9. lean — thin
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. mark — a grade
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. season — in sport
  17. court — of law
  18. rest — what's left
  19. cue — a hint
  20. cue — a signal
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. rest — what's left
  23. mark — a trace
  24. cue — for pool

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