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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. spring — a coil
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. spring — of water
  5. dip — to sink
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. lean — to bend
  8. hand — help
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. date — the fruit
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. hand — in cards
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. season — in sport
  19. lean — thin
  20. band — a ring
  21. spring — the season
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. band — a music group
  24. dip — to dunk

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