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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. saw — the tool
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. spring — of water
  5. can — a tin
  6. saw — the tool
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. spring — the season
  9. chair — a leader
  10. band — a ring
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. can — to be able to
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. mine — for digging
  15. spring — a coil
  16. band — a music group
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. mug — a cup
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. can — a tin
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. mug — to rob
  24. band — a rubber band

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