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: season · temple · bay · saw · pitch · fan · rush · rash

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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. rash — a series
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. saw — the tool
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. pitch — completely
  11. saw — the tool
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. rash — hasty
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. season — in sport
  18. rush — hurry
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. temple — a place of worship

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