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. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. spring — the season
  3. spring — a coil
  4. branch — a division
  5. cue — a hint
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. mug — a face
  8. file — a tool
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. mug — a cup
  11. file — a line of people
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. file — a document
  15. cue — for pool
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. chip — for betting
  20. mug — to rob
  21. chip — to eat
  22. cell — in biology
  23. cell — a phone
  24. cue — a signal

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