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: bowl · squash · season · net · bass · chair · race · fork

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. net — for catching
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. squash — to crush
  7. season — of the year
  8. race — a contest
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. fork — in a road
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. bass — low music
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. squash — the sport
  15. net — in sport
  16. season — in sport
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. race — the arms race
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. net — after costs
  21. bass — the fish
  22. chair — a leader
  23. race — humankind
  24. chair — a professorship

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