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 116 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 · pop · season · mate · wind · can · spell · ball

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. wind — moving air
  3. mate — a partner
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. ball — a dance
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. can — to be able to
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. pop — to visit
  10. pop — music
  11. spell — magic
  12. spell — letters
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. can — a tin
  15. mate — to breed
  16. can — a tin
  17. spell — a short time
  18. pop — soda
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. mate — a friend
  21. season — in sport
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. season — of the year
  24. wind — moving air

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