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 116 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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. season — in sport
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. spring — of water
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. plane — a tool
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. court — for sport
  12. object — to protest
  13. spring — the season
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. net — after costs
  16. object — a thing
  17. court — of a king
  18. court — of law
  19. spring — a coil
  20. net — in sport
  21. net — for catching
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. object — an aim
  24. coach — a trainer

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