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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. spring — a coil
  3. court — of a king
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. mine — for digging
  11. court — for sport
  12. spring — the season
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. lean — thin
  17. lean — to bend
  18. bulb — for light
  19. spring — of water
  20. rush — hurry
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. court — of law

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