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: bowl · prune · bank · content · game · wave · ground · season

  1. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. content — the amount
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. season — in sport
  5. ground — the earth
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. ground — a position
  8. season — of the year
  9. bank — of a river
  10. game — a match
  11. prune — to trim
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. bank — for money
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. game — wild animals
  19. content — happy
  20. prune — to trim
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. bank — for money
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. bowl — a football final

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