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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. season — of the year
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. branch — a division
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. season — in sport
  10. vault — a safe
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. rock — a stone
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. rock — music
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. roll — a list
  18. toast — bread
  19. roll — a cake
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. toast — the most admired

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