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 · rash · fine · stand · bark · cold · season · cap

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. fine — high quality
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. season — of the year
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. cap — a hat
  8. cap — of ice
  9. stand — to bear
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. cap — a lid
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. bark — to shout
  14. rash — hasty
  15. cold — not warm
  16. rash — a series
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. cold — an illness
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. season — in sport
  21. fine — all right
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. stand — on your feet

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