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 hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. march — music
  4. cap — a hat
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. spring — the season
  8. march — the month
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. spring — a coil
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. plane — a tool
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. march — the month
  15. bulb — for light
  16. cap — of ice
  17. saw — the tool
  18. bulb — for light
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. cap — a lid
  21. stand — to bear
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. saw — the tool
  24. stand — on your feet

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