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: straw · mark · craft · saw · cabinet · date · season · roll

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. roll — a cake
  3. season — of the year
  4. date — the fruit
  5. roll — a list
  6. saw — the tool
  7. season — in sport
  8. mark — a trace
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. saw — the tool
  15. craft — a skill
  16. mark — a grade
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. craft — boats
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. cabinet — ministers

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