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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. mate — a partner
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. object — a thing
  6. season — in sport
  7. object — an aim
  8. present — there
  9. land — to come down
  10. present — a gift
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. court — for sport
  13. court — of a king
  14. present — the time now
  15. season — of the year
  16. mate — to breed
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. object — to protest
  19. land — ground
  20. court — of law
  21. mate — a friend
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. land — a country

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