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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. cue — for pool
  3. mate — a partner
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. season — in sport
  8. cue — a hint
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. court — of a king
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. season — of the year
  14. ground — a position
  15. ground — the earth
  16. ground — crushed
  17. court — of law
  18. pass — a permit
  19. court — for sport
  20. mate — a friend
  21. cue — a signal
  22. pitch — completely
  23. mate — to breed
  24. leaves — to go away

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