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. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. fine — all right
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. season — of the year
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. mine — for digging
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. fine — high quality
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. rest — what's left
  15. spring — of water
  16. season — in sport
  17. rest — what's left
  18. spring — a coil
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. rest — a break
  24. foot — a measure

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