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 lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. spring — the season
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. spring — of water
  6. ground — a position
  7. ground — crushed
  8. spring — a coil
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. season — in sport
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. kick — in football
  18. ground — the earth
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. stock — goods
  21. season — of the year
  22. chest — of your body
  23. stock — shares
  24. chest — of your body

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