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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. bound — tied together
  5. row — to paddle
  6. face — to confront
  7. season — in sport
  8. saw — the tool
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. spring — of water
  11. face — to point toward
  12. spring — a coil
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. bound — obliged
  15. deal — to handle
  16. season — of the year
  17. saw — the tool
  18. row — a line
  19. face — part of the head
  20. pass — a permit
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. spring — the season
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. bound — certain

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