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 116 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: march · dip · prune · pass · season · leaves · net · content

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. march — the month
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. season — of the year
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. march — music
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. prune — to trim
  10. season — in sport
  11. pass — a permit
  12. prune — to trim
  13. content — the amount
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. net — in sport
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. net — after costs
  20. march — the month
  21. dip — to sink
  22. net — for catching
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. content — happy

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