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. David sat on the ________________.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. swing — to play on
  3. last — finally
  4. club — a group
  5. suit — to fit
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. suit — clothes
  8. season — in sport
  9. game — wild animals
  10. club — for dancing
  11. game — a match
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. saw — the tool
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. club — for golf
  16. swing — music
  17. suit — in cards
  18. bark — to shout
  19. last — to go on
  20. last — final
  21. swing — in golf
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. saw — the tool

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