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 124 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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: fall · season · cell · mate · key · kick · march · bass

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. kick — in football
  3. bass — the fish
  4. mate — a partner
  5. season — in sport
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. fall — to drop
  9. season — of the year
  10. cell — in biology
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. march — the month
  14. march — music
  15. key — the most important part
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. bass — low music
  18. fall — to drop
  19. key — in music
  20. key — for a lock
  21. march — the month
  22. mate — to breed
  23. mate — a friend
  24. cell — a phone

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