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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. land — ground
  4. club — for dancing
  5. season — of the year
  6. land — to come down
  7. firm — steady
  8. firm — a company
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. snap — to click
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. last — to go on
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. club — for golf
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. season — in sport
  18. last — finally
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. last — final
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. land — a country
  24. firm — decided

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