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 ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. can — to be able to
  4. spring — the season
  5. season — in sport
  6. present — there
  7. present — a gift
  8. deal — to handle
  9. spring — a coil
  10. season — of the year
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. stem — to come from
  17. pitch — completely
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. present — the time now
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. can — a tin
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. can — a tin

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