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 flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. mate — a partner
  3. bear — the animal
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. rash — a series
  7. mine — for digging
  8. mate — to breed
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. toast — bread
  13. spring — of water
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. rash — hasty
  17. mate — a friend
  18. bear — the animal
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. game — a match
  22. spring — a coil
  23. game — wild animals
  24. mine — an explosive

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