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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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. bowl — a dish
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. season — in sport
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. cap — a hat
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. bark — to shout
  10. cap — a lid
  11. drill — army training
  12. row — a line
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. cap — of ice
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. drill — the tool
  17. row — to paddle
  18. wake — a trail
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. drill — a practice
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. row — a quarrel

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