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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. mug — a cup
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. land — ground
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. march — the month
  9. land — to come down
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. sharp — clever
  12. mug — a face
  13. mark — a grade
  14. march — the month
  15. land — a country
  16. mark — a trace
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bulb — for light
  19. snap — to click
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. mug — to rob
  22. march — music
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. season — in sport

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