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: land · current · firm · bound · season · ball · fall · rush

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. firm — steady
  4. current — happening now
  5. land — ground
  6. fall — to drop
  7. season — in sport
  8. fall — the season
  9. firm — a company
  10. land — a country
  11. ball — a great time
  12. ball — a dance
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. fall — to drop
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. rush — hurry
  17. land — to come down
  18. bound — tied together
  19. firm — decided
  20. bound — certain
  21. current — electric
  22. current — of water
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. bound — obliged

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