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: mate · staff · saw · kick · march · degree · game · season

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. saw — the tool
  3. season — in sport
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. mate — a friend
  6. saw — the tool
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. game — a match
  9. game — wild animals
  10. kick — in football
  11. season — of the year
  12. staff — employees
  13. march — the month
  14. degree — temperature
  15. degree — from a university
  16. march — the month
  17. staff — a stick
  18. staff — employees
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. mate — a partner
  21. mate — to breed
  22. march — music
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. degree — an amount

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