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: lie · march · dip · game · season · file · leaves · object

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. season — in sport
  3. game — a match
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. game — wild animals
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. object — an aim
  8. lie — to recline
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. march — the month
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. march — music
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. object — a thing
  17. march — the month
  18. file — a tool
  19. file — a line of people
  20. file — a document
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. season — of the year
  23. dip — to sink
  24. object — to protest

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