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: ground · lash · rock · season · mine · bowl · pop · present

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. pop — soda
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. rock — a stone
  6. pop — to visit
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. present — the time now
  11. ground — a position
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. mine — for digging
  14. season — in sport
  15. present — there
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. rock — music
  18. present — a gift
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. ground — the earth
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. pop — music
  23. ground — crushed
  24. season — to add flavour

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