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: foot · squash · season · shower · bay · rash · sharp · pitch

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. season — in sport
  3. season — of the year
  4. rash — a series
  5. shower — to wash
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. foot — a measure
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. squash — to crush
  12. sharp — clever
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. pitch — completely
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. squash — the sport
  18. rash — hasty
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. shower — rain
  24. sharp — exactly

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