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: chest · pass · bore · last · spring · season · court · fork

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. fork — in a road
  3. court — of a king
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. spring — a coil
  6. season — of the year
  7. bore — to drill
  8. court — of law
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. last — to go on
  11. bore — to tire
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. season — in sport
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. court — for sport
  16. spring — the season
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. chest — of your body
  19. chest — of your body
  20. spring — of water
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. last — finally
  23. chest — a box
  24. pass — a permit

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