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: bowl · present · bass · rush · kick · pass · season · ground

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. kick — in football
  3. rush — hurry
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. present — there
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. present — a gift
  11. ground — crushed
  12. bass — the fish
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. season — in sport
  17. ground — the earth
  18. pass — a permit
  19. season — of the year
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. bass — low music
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. present — the time now

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