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: drill · season · spring · stand · jam · prune · saw · pitcher

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. drill — a practice
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. spring — the season
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. spring — a coil
  9. saw — the tool
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. saw — the tool
  12. prune — to trim
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. prune — to trim
  17. spring — of water
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. drill — army training
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. season — in sport
  23. drill — the tool
  24. stand — to bear

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