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: board · date · season · prune · fan · mate · spell · court

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. prune — to trim
  3. spell — a short time
  4. court — of law
  5. season — of the year
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. board — to get on
  8. mate — to breed
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. mate — a partner
  11. prune — to trim
  12. spell — magic
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. spell — letters
  16. season — in sport
  17. court — of a king
  18. court — for sport
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. board — a committee
  22. mate — a friend
  23. date — the fruit
  24. fan — a supporter

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