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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. can — to be able to
  3. can — a tin
  4. spring — a coil
  5. staff — employees
  6. rash — hasty
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. chair — a leader
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. spring — the season
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. rash — a series
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. rush — hurry
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. staff — employees
  20. dip — to sink
  21. spring — of water
  22. can — a tin
  23. season — of the year
  24. staff — a stick

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