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: wind · season · perch · bore · drill · chair · bass · saw

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. wind — moving air
  3. season — of the year
  4. bore — to tire
  5. season — in sport
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. wind — moving air
  8. chair — a leader
  9. perch — the fish
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. saw — the tool
  14. bass — low music
  15. drill — army training
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. bore — to drill
  18. drill — the tool
  19. bass — the fish
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. saw — the tool
  24. bass — the instrument

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