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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. wind — moving air
  3. spring — a coil
  4. spring — of water
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. spring — the season
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. fine — high quality
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. wake — a trail
  14. wind — moving air
  15. fine — all right
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. wind — to turn a key

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