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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. spring — a coil
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. spring — of water
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. spring — the season
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. sharp — clever
  12. wound — an injury
  13. wind — moving air
  14. wound — an injury
  15. foot — a measure
  16. ball — a dance
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bear — the animal
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. wind — moving air
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. bear — to put up with

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