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: roll · cold · prune · mate · scale · season · firm · stand

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. prune — to trim
  3. cold — not warm
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. prune — to trim
  6. season — of the year
  7. season — in sport
  8. firm — decided
  9. firm — steady
  10. roll — a cake
  11. firm — a company
  12. roll — a list
  13. stand — to bear
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. scale — in music
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. scale — size or range
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. cold — an illness
  21. mate — to breed
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. mate — a friend

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