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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. mark — a trace
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. wind — moving air
  7. mark — a grade
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. spring — a coil
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. spring — of water
  12. snap — to click
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. spring — the season
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. row — a line
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. row — to paddle
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. wind — moving air

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