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: saw · sharp · season · deal · shower · kick · mark · spell

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. spell — a short time
  4. season — of the year
  5. spell — letters
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. spell — magic
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. shower — to wash
  11. kick — in football
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. deal — to handle
  15. saw — the tool
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. mark — a grade
  18. season — in sport
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. shower — rain
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. sharp — clever
  24. mark — a trace

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