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 120 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: season · perch · mate · rash · ground · game · rock · fan

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. season — of the year
  3. rock — music
  4. game — a match
  5. mate — a friend
  6. ground — crushed
  7. ground — a position
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. perch — the fish
  12. ground — the earth
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. mate — a partner
  15. mate — to breed
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. game — wild animals
  18. rock — a stone
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. season — in sport
  23. rash — hasty
  24. rash — a series

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