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 people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. spring — of water
  5. spring — the season
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. spring — a coil
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. season — in sport
  11. bat — the animal
  12. season — of the year
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. foot — a measure
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. craft — boats
  18. craft — a skill
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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