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 fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. season — of the year
  3. mate — to breed
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. suit — to fit
  6. face — part of the head
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. suit — clothes
  9. face — to confront
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. vault — a safe
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. last — to go on
  14. season — in sport
  15. last — finally
  16. bass — low music
  17. squash — to crush
  18. squash — the sport
  19. suit — in cards
  20. mate — a partner
  21. last — final
  22. mate — a friend
  23. face — to point toward
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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