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

Word bank: club · march · lash · rush · season · fall · straw · mate

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. club — a group
  3. mate — a friend
  4. march — the month
  5. march — the month
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. march — music
  8. fall — to drop
  9. rush — hurry
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. mate — to breed
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. club — for golf
  14. season — of the year
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. club — for dancing
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. season — in sport
  23. fall — to drop
  24. mate — a partner

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