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: season · pit · toast · lash · coach · row · face · bowl

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. pit — in a race
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. toast — bread
  6. season — in sport
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. pit — a hole
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. face — to confront
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. row — to paddle
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. season — of the year
  21. face — to point toward
  22. row — a line
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. face — part of the head

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