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

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. rule — government
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. ball — a dance
  6. season — of the year
  7. lean — to bend
  8. spring — of water
  9. wound — an injury
  10. spring — a coil
  11. lean — thin
  12. net — for catching
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. wound — an injury
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. net — after costs
  18. net — in sport
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. ball — a great time
  21. rule — a law
  22. spring — the season
  23. season — in sport
  24. rule — to rule out

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