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 flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. charge — a price
  3. key — in music
  4. stand — to bear
  5. key — for a lock
  6. charge — electricity
  7. spring — of water
  8. mate — a partner
  9. key — the most important part
  10. mate — to breed
  11. bound — obliged
  12. snap — to click
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. net — in sport
  15. charge — in control
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. spring — a coil
  19. bound — certain
  20. net — after costs
  21. mate — a friend
  22. net — for catching
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. bound — tied together

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