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: spring · present · season · leaves · bowl · kick · net · game

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. spring — the season
  5. net — after costs
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. spring — of water
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. net — for catching
  10. present — there
  11. game — wild animals
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. present — the time now
  14. net — in sport
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. spring — a coil
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. present — a gift
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. season — in sport
  22. kick — in football
  23. game — a match
  24. bowl — to roll

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