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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. bank — for money
  8. bank — for money
  9. rash — hasty
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. prune — to trim
  12. prune — to trim
  13. season — in sport
  14. present — a gift
  15. rash — a series
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. bank — of a river
  18. perch — the fish
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. present — there
  22. present — the time now
  23. hide — to keep secret
  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