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 116 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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. season — of the year
  3. squash — the sport
  4. pitch — completely
  5. cell — a phone
  6. ground — the earth
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. drill — the tool
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. season — in sport
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. cap — a hat
  15. ground — crushed
  16. cap — of ice
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. drill — a practice
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. cell — in biology
  22. squash — to crush
  23. ground — a position
  24. cap — a lid

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