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: bay · deal · net · spell · mug · saw · season · key

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. key — for a lock
  3. season — of the year
  4. key — the most important part
  5. mug — a face
  6. net — for catching
  7. mug — to rob
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. mug — a cup
  10. spell — a short time
  11. saw — the tool
  12. spell — magic
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. key — in music
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. net — after costs
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. net — in sport
  20. saw — the tool
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. spell — letters
  23. deal — to handle
  24. season — in sport

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