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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. spring — of water
  3. spell — a short time
  4. cell — in biology
  5. bank — for money
  6. pass — a permit
  7. bank — of a river
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. game — a match
  10. spring — the season
  11. bound — tied together
  12. spell — letters
  13. bound — certain
  14. dip — to sink
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. cell — a phone
  18. bound — obliged
  19. game — wild animals
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. spell — magic
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. bank — for money

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