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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. mate — a friend
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. cell — in biology
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. land — a country
  8. pit — a hole
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. mate — a partner
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. pit — in a race
  13. season — of the year
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. ball — a dance
  16. season — in sport
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. sharp — clever
  20. land — to come down
  21. land — ground
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. cell — a phone
  24. ball — a great time

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